Angel of Death
by Fifth
Summary: COMPLETE. Jack goes to Port Royal & tells Elizabeth of a way to free Will from the Dutchman. Seeking the help of an assassin in the Persian Gulf, they find themselves intertwined in his cause, which is more convoluted than it seems.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys, this is my first Pirates fic, so please review and tell me how I'm doing so far. I plan to write a lot, so don't be so shy and give me some suggestions or ask questions. Have fun.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates, Disney does. Duh.

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

The young man was sweating profusely as he ran through the Arabic streets. The people did not know why this Chinese man was running wildly, but as they turned to see what it was, the black entity swarmed the area and chased after the Chinese man. He athletically hopped over storage crates, jumped up to merchants' shops and kept running away from the black predator that desired his life. Rain began pouring down on the shops as the chase continued. When the young man was trapped behind large gate walls, the black entity stopped to look at its victim one last time. The young man, who was dressed in a white coat with a hood, drew two blades, one a shortsword Japanese katana and the other, a shiny, devilishly attractive black Arabic dagger. His other identical katana was sheathed. He stood there and under his hood, his eyes emitted a shiny color, and he charged forward.

_Death is the only way out…_


	2. Fountain of Youth, In a Rum Bottle

**The prologue was fast, so I also finished Chapter 2, enjoy. Don't forget to ask questions or review.**

**Chapter 2: Fountain of Youth…In a Rum Bottle**

Elizabeth Swann stood watching the sea as the waves crashed along the shore. She could feel her William out there, somewhere, hoping that one day he'd come back.

_Two more years. _She thought. _And I get to see him again._

Their son was only 8 years old, and has not seen his father at all. He hopes to see him. She paused for a second as her thoughts floated through her head. Port Royal was the same as ever, only without some of the higher class people, notably her father and Norrington, both whom have perished from her last adventure. Currently, a man named Augustus Blackwell is running the port, and doing a fine job at that. She sighed and looked down at the grass. The day was beautiful, but only if Will was here. Elizabeth shook her thoughts and went back inside. She threw on a dress in her bedroom as she was planning to head out into town today.

"Come on, Bill," she said, heading out the door.

The miniature version of Will Turner came out from his room, buttoning his shirt up. "Mother, do I look appropriate?"

Elizabeth kneeled down and fixed his collar, smiling to him. "Yes, Will. You look handsome."

"Just like father?" he asked.

"Better," she replied, standing up and holding his hand. "Let's go."

The town was still the same town that was raided by the Black Pearl, the same town that she kissed Will in, the same town where she was held hostage by Jack Sparrow. She smirked at that name. She was the only one to ever "kill" him successfully. No one else had ever done that, not even Hector Barbossa who is probably still sailing on the Pearl at this moment. Her umbrella rested on her shoulder as it blocked the sunlight, and she was enjoying the day for once. As she walked past the town square, she met with the new man in charge, Augustus Blackwell himself.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Turner," he said politely.

Elizabeth returned with a smile. "Afternoon, Governor Blackwell. What business have you down here today?"

Blackwell shrugged. He was quite young for a governor, only looked slightly older than Will, but he was doing a good job. "Can't stop me from enjoying the day while it is still young, madam."

"Well then, I guess I should enjoy my portion of the day," she replied.

As she began to walk away, Blackwell stopped her. "Oh, Mrs. Turner."

She turned to him. "Yes?"

"One of my patrolmen says there is a 'Mr. Smith' at the dock waiting for you. He said that the man would rather go by 'Smithy.' My men will keep a close eye for your safety," Blackwell informed. "He said that Mr. Smith looked rather…brain damaged."

"Well, I shall visit this Mr. Smith at this moment, then," she said, walking away.

Elizabeth walked with her son to the dock, where she was met with one of the men she did not expect to see for a long time. A moment passed between her and Mr. Smith as seagulls flew above, and the only sounds heard were the workers and waves crashing along shore.

The young Bill looked up at her bitterly surprised face. "Mum? Is this my father?"

Elizabeth looked down at him. "No, not even close."

Bill was confused. "Who is this?"

"This…Bill…this is your Uncle Jack," she said, looking back up at him.

Jack Sparrow smiled and took his hat off. "Care to welcome your friend Jack, then?"

Elizabeth walked forward and gave him a hug. "It's been a long time, Jack."

Jack lightly pushed her away in a slightly startled manner. "Yeah, that's nice, Elizabeth. One is enough."

Smiling, she looked at him in the eyes. "What business does Jack Sparrow have here at Port Royal?"

"I've come for a little…say…offering?" Jack said, strutting around the dock. "See, for the past 8 years I've been traveling the seas, and well, your friend Jack has found…this." He pulled out a rum bottle filled to the top.

"It's a bottle of rum," she said in a confused tone. Maybe Jack _has_ been brain damaged.

Jack scoffed. "It _looks_ like a bottle of rum, but…" he cut off his voice and looked at the bottle, laughing nervously. "Oh, this _is_ a bottle of rum. I guess we didn't actually run out." Jack tossed the bottle into the water and called out to the Black Pearl, which was docked behind him.

Elizabeth was surprised that the Pearl was running on white sails this time, probably to avoid any coast guards.

"Gibbs!" Jack yelled out to the ship.

Mr. Gibbs, looking only a few years older, walked out into the walkway. "Aye, Cap'n Jack. What desire comes upon ye?"

"Pass me a bottle!" Jack yelled.

Mr. Gibbs was confused. "You already have one, sir!"

"That was rum!" Jack replied. Gibbs's eyes widened.

"Aye…where be the last bottle of rum?" he asked. "I'll give you another bottle."

Jack's eyes went back and forth to the water. "Uh…the bottle has gone overboard, Mr. Gibbs."

Mr. Gibbs threw Jack another bottle of 'rum' and jumped overboard to find the last bottle of rum. Jack presented the bottle to Elizabeth and smiled. "Mrs. Turner, I present to you…the Aquafina."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You mean Aqua Vitae."

Jack, in an irritated tone, handed the bottle to her. "Aye, Aquafina is an idiotic name."

"Jack…" Elizabeth said, mystified by the water. "Did you stumble across the Fountain of You—"

"OH, I do not know what time it is, Miss. I'm sorry to inform you, but talking about that kind of junk will bring chaos," Jack said loudly and hastily. A bunch of people on the dockside looked over at them, and a deathly quiet pause took place. "…will bring chaos to _me_! I cannot stand anymore chaos on my…ship!"

He then clumsily rushed up the steps to the Black Pearl, and Elizabeth and Bill followed. "Jack, talk to me!"

Jack turned around and showed a disgusted grin. "Fine, but quietly."

She looked at him. "How did you find it?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe I had a map," Jack said. "But, on a more serious level, I wanted for you, as the Pirate King, to have this bottle. See, Elizabeth, your friend Jack Sparrow and his Black Pearl crew are now immortal. We can pillage and plunder all we want. Piracy lives on forever through us."

"Why do you want me to have it?" she asked. Bill was no longer in her sights and wandered around the ship.

Jack smiled. "Well, your dear William is immortal, and I'm immortal, so you must be immortal to enjoy the rest of your eternity seeing him once every ten years," he said sarcastically. "We can all be one big happy family. If I were Will, I wouldn't want to come home seeing my wife a lot more…" he gestured to her body and face. "…mature."

She looked at the bottle, and her heart desired to see her beloved William again. "Yes, Jack. I do want to see him. I want to spend my eternity with him."

"Then drink up, me lovely, and we'll be on our way," Jack said, walking away.

Elizabeth looked over at him. "Wait, Jack. On our way…where?"

"We be on our way to the Persian Gulf, missie," a familiar voice sounded behind her. Hector Barbossa stood behind her, looking slightly younger than he did last time, probably from the Aqua Vitae. "For once, we will try to restore the natural order."

"What natural order?" she asked.

"Somethin' about getting your lover back," Pintel said out of nowhere. Barbossa gave him a piercing look, but he just smiled. "Sorry."

Elizabeth looked at Barbossa, then Jack who came back with her son, Bill. "Wait. So there is a way to get Will back?"

"Tis a myth, Elizabeth," Jack said.

Ragetti, who was sweeping the floor behind Jack, let out a laugh. "Did you see that, Pintel? That was a good rhyme."

Pintel smacked him in the back of the head. "Shut up! Our Captains are speaking."

Barbossa rolled his eyes, then followed after Jack. "Aye, 'tis a myth. But we pirates like a good myth to follow. There is a myth that the Dutchman can be freed, but the answer lies in the Persian Gulf. The Empire of Persia has many pirates and clans, but only they can give us answers."

"The choice of following us is yours, Elizabeth," Jack said. "We have lots of Aqua Vit…vit…whatever it's called. If the curse is lifted, then we can all have a drink and be a big happy pirate family!"

Elizabeth thought for a moment, then smiled. "I missed going out on adventures. Okay, I'll do it."

She thought of her son, and this might be the only way that he can see his father. She would have to be extra responsible for him, though.

"Be ready by dusk," Barbossa replied. "And we're off."

**So, hope you guys liked it. I'll be back with Chapter 3 soon.**


	3. Whom Death Pursues

**Here's Chapter 3, guys. Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 3: Whom Death Pursues**

The streets of Tortuga are a place that any man wouldn't feel unwanted. Jack had to hurry back to the Pearl soon so they could set sail towards the Persian Gulf. But for now, he was having a drink with Barbossa. The bar was unchanged. Drunkards still fought, women still crazy, and it was the perfect atmosphere for a pirate.

Barbossa took a drink. "Clever Jack," he said. "I know you too well that you are not planning to set sail for Mrs. Turner, or that misbegotten lover she has. Something greater is abroad, is there not?"

Jack had a crooked, twisted smirk on his face. "This time, there's no leverage. If I can really free the Dutchman, think of what will be in store for me…I mean us, Hector."

"What plan comes upon ye?" Barbossa asked.

Jack stared straight forward. "The Flying Dutchman is an impressive ship, mate. Here is the plan. It's rather simple, really."

"Aye, I'm listening," his co-captain said.

Jack looked at Barbossa. "All Elizabeth wants is to have her William back, so once they live happily ever after, we take control of the Dutchman. Our very own fleet is at hand, mate. Just make me Captain of my Pearl, and you can be Commodore Barbossa."

Barbossa laughed. "Do you really think I'd fall for that one, Jack? I've heard this one already."

"Yes, because I _really_ want my ship back."

"And what of the crew?"

Jack shrugged. "They can always join us."

Nodding, Barbossa rubbed his chin. "Aye, it sounds like a fine plan. What could go wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing," Jack said, holding up his cup of ale. "Savvy?"

Barbossa slammed cups against his. "Aye."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill ran up and down the ship in an excited manner. He has never been on a pirate ship before, and this was just too much. The young boy had to admit, he wouldn't mind sailing on a ship forever. Elizabeth watched her son play around the ship. He was just like his father, a sailor at heart. One of the crewmembers, a young Chinese lady, came from behind her and smiled.

"That's a cute child you have there," she said.

Elizabeth turned to her and smiled. "Yes, thank you."

"My name is Zi Lang," she said, holding out a hand.

Shaking her hand, Elizabeth was surprised that a beautiful woman like Zi would be sailing with a bunch of pirates, but was glad that there was another woman on board besides her. "Elizabeth Turner."

"It is an honor to sail with you, Mrs. Turner," Zi said. "Pintel and Ragetti have said many things about you while we work. Many good things."

Once again, she was surprised with the crew. "Oh, really? That's nice, but I don't think I can live up to the stories they tell. Why is a beautiful woman like you sailing on a ship like this?"

"I was going to ask you the same question, but I might have the same answer."

"Well, then. I guess we don't have to tell," she replied.

Zi smiled. "Yes."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The black storm cleared from the day before, and things were once again calm. The hooded man stood up from the castle wall he slept against and wiped off the sand on his clothes. His white coat still looked cleaner than ever, and on the back, a faint outline of a falcon spreading its wings could be seen. The Chinese man pulled his hood over his head to block the sunlight, only to discover that sand had filled the hood, and now his face was covered with sand. He groaned in irritation and slowly stretched out, sheathing his weapons that lay beside him. They have guarded his life once again. The monster that was after him was gone, for now. Standing up, he headed to the bazaar his leader was staying at. Walking through the streets, the city of Aswad Mohit was a worldwide marketplace where diversity was large, and many languages were spoken here, but English was quite dominant due to many British traders passing through. As the man was passing through, the people were still wondering what happened last night.

An Arabic man standing in front of his shop in the bazaar looked at the hooded man.

"Hashshashin (Assassin)," he said. The Chinese man looked over. "Assalamu alaikum. (May peace be with you)."

"Matha tureed? (What do you want?)" the Chinese man asked in Arabic. "Mind your own business, merchant."

"Ana asif (I'm sorry)," the merchant replied. "My friend, it looks like Allah's will is against you."

The Chinese man sighed and continued heading towards the market where his leader was hiding out at. If you looked into his eyes, you could see the many battles he had endured, and the emptiness that his soul has become. A young, but weathered spirit. He passed through more groups of people, until he found some of his own. They too, were dressed in the same manner as he was. White coats and white hoods, and that same falcon symbol on the back of their coats.

One of them was Arabic. "Kaif halak? (How are you?)"

"The blackness of death chases me, Ramadi," the Chinese man replied. "How would _you_ feel?"

"The Altair is looking for you," Ramadi, his friend said. "We should go right away."

"Na'am (Yes)," he nodded. "Let's go."

They entered the market and went upstairs, where he met with his leader, a former pirate captain who was a former Pirate Lord. Muhammad Hassan, the Pirate Lord of the Persian Gulf and Altair of his clan. The man was not of pure Arabic origin, but was an African Arabic. He sat in a comfortable chair, and was surrounded by his many wives who did their own comforting. Hassan was finely built, although not much of a quick man, he made up for it with his strength and unbreakable will. He taught the Chinese man everything he knew.

"Ah, Tsau Nu Tua," Hassan said, calling his name. "I'm sorry that you were chased last night. It's good to see you here and alive."

Tsau, the Chinese man, removed his hood and nodded. "Yes it is, Altair."

"Tsau, how many times must I tell you not to call me that?" Hassan laughed, picking up a cup of coffee. "You are like my nephew, you know. Your father and I were like brothers! Glorious memories, my friend."

Tsau tried to smile, but he found it hard to do after what he had just been through last night. "Yeah, okay."

"I have to talk to you about fate," Hassan said. "What do you think of it?"

"I think it's a load of crap," Tsau said. "I believe that us as men are free to do what we want."

Hassan smiled as he looked out the window. "Yeah, but my friend, from what I've seen, fate always bounds a man. That's why death chases you."

"It chases me because of what I've done," Tsau said. "I dare not speak of it."

"But you didn't have to do what you did," Hassan said. "Maybe it was fate that you were supposed to…well. But Allah was good to me and brought you salvation."

Tsau looked down. "Why have you asked for me?"

"I believe that there is a way to rid you of Death's pursuit," Hassan said. "We will be having visitors soon, from the Caribbean. They will be on a journey, and my stars tell me that you must be part of that journey. You are connected with them, I can feel it."

Tsau finally let out a chuckle.

"Ah, see?" Hassan smiled and laughed. "Even in the midst of death, you smile. You have just made my day a lot brighter."

"One day, Hassan," Tsau said in a more serious voice. "One day, it'll come."

Hassan pretended not to listen. "What a man you've become. Your father would be proud of you," Hassan said. "I'm proud of you, Tsau. I know you'll pull yourself out of this one in one piece. I understand what you are going through."

"You don't know what it's like when…" Tsau paused. "When God has abandoned you, and the Devil is afraid of you. I've sinned a lot, and sometimes I can only think that death is my way out."

"Death is not good," Hassan replied. "But the choice is yours. When your journey is over, you will be presented with two roads, two choices. Die and let your sins be atoned, or live and fight your sins away. I guarantee you. You'll know the answer by then."

**I'll be back with Chapter 4 soon! Don't be afraid to ask any questions.**


	4. Display of Assassination

**I just finished this today, so enjoy Chapter 4, guys. Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Chapter 4: Display of Assassination**

The trip so far was rather quick for her taste. The time that passed was only about a week and a half. A lesser ship couldn't have survived at the rate the Pearl sailed, because the Pearl was the fastest ship on the waters. Elizabeth yawned as she woke up from her dreamy sleep, and noticed that the sunrise was not present. Slipping on some of her packed clothes, she stepped outside and met with Jack, who had been awake for awhile.

A trader's port was in sight, but what mattered most was what city they were headed to. "Jack, which city is this?"

Jack turned around from the port view. "Aswad Mohit, love. The city of Black Ocean. Few of us Caribs have ever seen such a fine trading city."

"Have you been here before?" she asked.

"Once," Jack answered in a straightforward tone. "I have trouble remembering."

Mr. Gibbs stood beside Jack. "Jack did not leave with most of his memory intact. You see, he got himself in a quarrel with the locals and they threw him out in the desert. He was stuck there for five days and five nights, and almost suffered a heat stroke, but he found the dead carcasses of camels. With them, he lured himself some wild dogs who escaped from their masters and made himself a carriage on the dogs with the bones of the camels. When he returned, it seemed that the heat had gotten to him."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" she said. "I think Jack was stuck out on an oasis with a hidden storage of rum, drinking until he decided to come back!"

Jack scurried away up to the helm of the ship, where Barbossa was at the wheel. "Hector, what's the plan?"

"We search for the former Pirate Lord of the Persian Gulf," Barbossa replied, staring straight into the port.

"Aye the Pirate Lord," Jack acknowledged.

Elizabeth, who was looking at them, turned to Gibbs. "Gibbs, there were more Pirate Lords?"

Gibbs nodded. "Aye, there be more Pirate Lords. But by the time Calypso was trapped, there were only nine. I can't quite remember the name of the Pirate Lord."

"Captain Muhammad Hassan," Barbossa answered. Everyone looked at him. "He be running a gang now. So when you're in the city, stick close, Mrs. Turner. Beware of the Order of the White Falcon."

Elizabeth was mystified by that name. "Who're they?"

"Assassins. They be dressed in white coats and hoods, much like monks, and are the deadliest assassins a pirate will ever cross swords with. I recommend you don't start up any trouble, or start making demands, Mrs. Turner," Barbossa responded. "We look like saviors when compared to them."

"You'll see, Elizabeth," Jack said, flashing a smirk.

As they docked the ship, the merchants and traders looked up at the flag design, knowing that it is a ship from the Caribbean. Jack, Elizabeth, and Barbossa were prepared to head out, but Zi stopped them.

"Jack," she said. Jack turned to her. "May I come with?"

Jack nodded with a shrug. "Aye, we need more pirates to watch our backs. Gibbs, keep an eye on the ship."

"Aye Cap'n," Gibbs replied.

The party of four headed out to find an organization in a huge city. The stores and merchants really were amusing to watch, because they were almost always busy. Elizabeth had not seen a trade center this huge before, and was glad that she was seeing the sights.

"How do you expect to find an organization in a place like this?" Zi asked.

Jack looked up at the buildings. "Well, more likely they'll find us, lassy."

As they continued walking down the street, they came across an assembly held by a British man. He held up the flag of the East India Trading Company. There were also a group of soldiers and alleged pirates being hung.

"I thought they had lost," Elizabeth muttered.

"Aye, but they lost only Cutler Beckett. It seems someone has been trying to revive the company," Barbossa answered. Jack kept a close eye, then looked up at the rooftops.

"We might want to stay and see the show for a bit," Jack said.

Barbossa glanced over. "No, we cannot waste time with this…gathering."

"It's horrible, Jack," Elizabeth said. "All these people…"

Jack smiled. "No, I think you might want to see this."

The British man read the people their crimes. "…and you are to be hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your souls."

As the executioner was about to drop the platform, people started to get uneasy, for there was a man in a white coat and hood on the rooftops.

One Arab merchant started shouting, "Falcon!!!!"

Jack smiled as the rest of his party looked up. Everyone looked up as the crowd started shouting in amazement, as if a hero came to save them.

However, while everyone was distracted, another man dressed in the same attire pulled his hood over and started shoving his way through the crowd. Before the British man could tell the men to fire upon the rooftops, the hooded man beneath leaped from the ground with a dagger in his hand. He seemed to soar like a falcon in the sky, and when he met with the British man, he sank the dagger into his neck. The man fell back and collapsed with the assassin on top of him like a preying falcon, but the crowd was still distracted. The hooded man pulled out the dagger and threw it to one of the guards on the right, hitting his throat, and pulling out his shortsword katana blade at the same time. With the blade, he started hacking down the guards skillfully, and pulled out his other katana. Wielding both of them, he dodged and slashed the guardsmen in an all-too-quick manner, and in a matter of seconds, the guards with firearms were dead. Finally, the crowd looked over to see the white hooded assassin, and cheered on his clan's name.

"Falcon! Falcon! Falcon!" they shouted.

The assassin sheathed his blades and picked up the dagger from the guard he threw it to. Within a quick moment, he began leaping over the crowd, hopping up onto the shop tarps and keeping his balance simultaneously. The party of four looked over, amazed with the acrobatic prowess these assassins possess.

"Now then," Jack said, turning to his shipmates. "Shall we follow?"

Zi looked marveled. "Impressive. I wouldn't mind a little duel with one of them."

"Don't be foolish, Zi," Barbossa said. "Let us continue."

"See, Elizabeth?" Jack said. The crowd began to free the 'criminals' off their collars. "Captain Jack Sparrow is not always stupid."

"We must follow him," Elizabeth said. "The further we progress, the closer I get to Will."

They tried to keep up with the assassin, but he was too fast, even when he cleared over or under obstacles. Hopping over tables, sliding beneath wagons, and jumping straight through an open carriage, Jack seemed to laugh at himself because it was ridiculous to chase him.

"I think we lost him," Zi said.

"Curse these damned assassins," Barbossa said. "I guess we'll just have to ask around."

Elizabeth looked around, and the assassin disappeared amidst the large groups of people walking in the marketplace. She then caught a glimpse of the hooded man, who stood still among the people. Keeping a stare, she tried to see if it was the same assassin who had just foiled the plans of the East India Trading Company. The white hood stood still, but slowly turned around to look at Elizabeth. She was taken aback by his sudden notice of her, but as soon as a wagon cart passed through, he was no longer there. It was as if he had disappeared to thin air.

"Mrs. Turner," Zi said. "Let's get moving."

The crew decided to walk around the city a little more, trying to at least find another one of the assassins. After a tiresome and futile search, Elizabeth decided to talk to one of the merchants. Jack and Barbossa waited.

"Excuse me," Elizabeth said, catching the Arab man's attention. The tired merchant let out a grunt, acknowledging her words. "White Falcon. Do you know where I can find them?"

"La a'ref (I don't know)," he replied in a rough voice, trying to ignore her.

"Please, I need to find them," she said.

The Arabic man shook his head. "Ma'a salama. (Goodbye)"

Elizabeth was now frustrated. Zi came over and slammed a gold coin on the merchant's table. "Here. Can you tell us?"

Sighing, the merchant slowly drew closer to them. "If you want to find them, go to the fountain at Aswad Square, where daylight touches at noon's embrace. The fountain will lead the way."

"Daylight…noon's embrace," Zi tried to remember. "Okay, thank you."

Elizabeth and Zi returned to Jack and Barbossa, explaining to them the small riddle that the merchant gave them.

"The fountain will lead the way?" Jack said. "That's not very helpful. Since when has a fountain ever helped us? Oh wait…" he chuckled. "…The Fountain of Youth."

Elizabeth sighed. "It's all we've got."

"Let's go then, noon approaches," Zi insisted.

They continued walking until they arrived at Aswad Square, and surprisingly, it was only moderately busy compared to the other places they have seen. It was already noon, and they only had a short time to break down the riddle.

"I don't get it," Jack said. "Daylight is everywhere."

Elizabeth was getting frustrated again. "This is not good."

After they paced around for another moment, Barbossa let out a laugh, catching their attention. "Ye be fools. The riddle is simple."

"Oh really?" Jack said sarcastically. "Please explain, commodo—I mean co-captain." Elizabeth gave Jack a sharp glance, but he only returned with a smile.

Barbossa nodded. "Follow ye captain. The key words to the riddle here be 'fountain,' 'noon,' and 'daylight.' Tis an obvious answer, me hearties," Barbossa gestured to the straight-tipped fountain. "The shadow of the fountain when the daylight of noon embraces it leads the way. Follow the shadow's arrow."

The rest of the group stood up and followed what Barbossa said. The fountain pointed towards a shop called 'The Gilded Fountain.' Elizabeth let out a smile. "You're a genius, Barbossa. Let's go."

"Oh, the Gilded _Fountain_," Jack said. "How obvious was that one? Honestly, how did we miss that?"

**Well, I hope you guys liked Chapter 4, I'll be back with Chapter 5.**


	5. The Order of the White Falcon

**Thanks for the review, people! Here's Chapter 5.**

**Chapter 5: The Order of the White Falcon**

His hand was steady, and his eyes were closed. Thinking of such soothing memories followed by a bittersweet goodbye left Will's spirit in shambles. He wanted to go back, but he always muttered the words to himself.

"The Dutchman needs a captain, the Dutchman needs a captain," he'd say silently.

He couldn't help but feel helpless, because the intensity of his love was eating him away and it was too much to bear. Even so, Will would give anything to see his Elizabeth, and if that is carrying souls to the afterlife just to see her one day…just one…he would do so. Eight years seemed like an eternity to Will, because of his duties as the captain. The souls of the dead were riding on his ship and soon he'd be on the other side. Once again, another round trip. Nothing much happened besides that, except watching the men play a bit of Liar's Dice every now and then. He thought more of parting with Elizabeth. Sweet sadness came upon him, and he let his thoughts sift for another few moments. Every day he prayed that she did not die on the waters. He didn't want to see her that way. Will Turner stood up from his deskchair after a bang on the door startled him.

"Captain! Captain!" his father shouted on the other side.

"What is it, father?" Will asked, putting on his coat. He rushed to the door and opened it.

Bootstrap Bill had a frightened look on his face. "Will, we're not alone out here. Something follows us."

Will rushed out of the captain's quarters and up to the helm of the ship. "Is it dangerous?" he asked. The crew were stumbling around, loading the cannons, preparing for the dangers that were ahead. The sky was cloudy, which is not a good sign when you're crossing over.

Bootstrap followed him. "Looks like it."

He looked around the infinite sea of water. "Where is it? What does it look like?"

"It's a black…dark cloud," his father answered.

Will looked behind his shoulder and spotted the black cloud. As his eyes stayed fixed, the black entity began collapsing and implosions occurred. When the smoke from the implosion cleared, Will noticed a black ship blowing past the dust. By the time he began to call out orders, the ship was in very close range.

"Ready the cannons!" he shouted to the crew. He turned his ship around and decided to fight against the black ship. After all, his crew was immortal.

The black ship drew closer, and as it did, Will noticed that there was no one on board, and that the ship was empty.

"Fire, Captain?" Bootstrap asked.

"Hold fire," Will said.

They watched the black ship sail for awhile, but then noticed bodies rising up from the black floors. Deep moans and groans came, like a ghost. The bodies stood up, and were the color of dark, decayed bodies. They were the undead souls of pirates, and they looked like they did not rest easily. All of them were missing eyes, some had only half their jaw, but all of them had decaying, yet strong limbs. They roared like monsters and looked like they were cursed, straight out of a pirate tale. The last body to rise was the captain, who had four arms, all holding cutlasses.

"Undead souls," Bootstrap said. "What disturbance has led to this?"

"We need to get out of this situation," Will's eyes widened. "Fire!"

The Dutchman's cannons fired upon the black ship, but the blasts did little damage. The ship slowly started to regenerate itself, but slow enough that more damage could be done. The captain of the Dutchman stood still as more cannon fire was called, increasing further damage to the opposing vessel. The undead pirates retreated to the side of their ship opposite to Will's. Will noticed what was about to happen and turned to the crew.

"Ready your weapons, men," he said, looking back out to the other ship. "The undead come."

Will drew his blade, the same one that Davy Jones stabbed him with; the same one he made for Norrington. As soon as he drew it, the undead pirates, outnumbering the crew by many, ran full speed and leaped towards the Dutchman.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Gilded Fountain was diverse, with an assortment of nationalities and races, not to mention the food and drink. Music, dialogue, and laughter overwhelmed the room. There was a bar, a poker table, and a billiards table where people socialized and enjoyed another day in Aswad Mohit. Jack had broken away from the group, already heading towards the bar.

Barbossa turned to the two women. "Watch ye rear. You inform us or we'll inform ye when the Order has been found."

"Yes," Zi replied. "We'll keep an eye out."

Jack Sparrow sat down at the bar. "Excuse me, but do you have anything decent here?"

The bartender, dressed in a green turban, turned around. "Oh, well…if it isn't the Caribbean legend himself. Come to travel over the sea of sand once again, Jack Sparrow?"

Jack nervously laughed. "No thanks. I'm here to see Hassan."

"Do you have a death wish, Mr. Sparrow?" the bartender asked.

Jack shook his head. "No, I have a business proposition," Jack replied.

The bartender smiled and leaned over the counter. "How lucrative?" he asked with his gritty, dirty teeth showing.

"Very."

Nodding, the bartender called out a few words in Arab, and the guards took him upstairs.

"Hey, where did Jack go?" Elizabeth asked after a moment of Jack's absence.

Being dragged upstairs, Jack was hoping Hassan would take up on his proposition. After they made him remove all of his weapons, Hassan stood up from his chair and greeted him.

"Ah, Jack Sparrow," he greeted enthusiastically. "My friend, it's been awhile."

Jack smiled. "Captain Hassan, that's Captain Jack Sparrow to you."

"I go by Altair Hassan now," Hassan said. "The respectable leader of my clan."

"Aye," Jack acknowledged.

Hassan laughed. "So, what is this business proposition you have for me, Captain Sparrow? It's not everyday a Carib like you comes to visit the Persian Gulf."

"It involves the Flying Dutchman," Jack stated, sitting down in a chair aside Hassan.

The Altair nodded and sighed. "So I suspect," Hassan responded, pouring some rum into his cup. "Rum?"

Jack shook his head. "No thank you."

"Jack, you know I wouldn't poison you," Hassan laughed again. "But…about the Dutchman…you wish to free it of its curse. Might I ask why?"

"I want my Pearl back, and it's the only way I'll get Barbossa off my ship," Jack said. "We might start our own fleet."

"Jack," Hassan stared off into space. "You know that I know how to free the Dutchman…but…I am still a pirate at heart. Is there anything in it for me?"

Jack smiled. "I know that you know that I know about the Dutchman. And I'm pretty sure you know and suspect that I know you know or someone that knows how to knowingly free the Dutchman, all knowingly depending on who knows who is doing the knowing," he paused for a bit, waiting for Hassan to absorb those confusing words. "But I might have something you'll be interested in." Jack pulled out a map. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a map," Hassan said, ignoring Jack's earlier comments. "Where to?"

"This map, mate, leads to the Fountain of Youth. I've already found it, and if you can successfully help me break the curse, it is yours," Jack replied.

"The Fountain of Youth?" Hassan smiled. "Very lucrative, indeed, Jack. But all this, for a ship?"

"Aye," Jack said. He didn't want to completely reveal the arsenal of the Dutchman, nor its capabilities. "Just for the Dutchman, mate."

Stumbling noises came from downstairs.

"Let me go! Let go!" a voice screamed.

Jack turned to the door and Elizabeth was being held captive by one of the guards downstairs. "We found this woman snooping around back."

Hassan turned to Jack. "One of yours, Sparrow?"

Jack nervously smiled. "No, of course not. Are you serious?" Elizabeth gave a sharp glare to Jack.

Hassan smiled. "Then, I guess we can have a little entertainment…" Jack looked at him in an odd manner. "How about a little…swordplay?"

The large, imposing guard freed Elizabeth and drew his sword. "En garde!"

Elizabeth, confused with the situation, drew her sword as well. The duel started off slow, with only her and the guard stepping around the room. Jack tried not to look. Then their blades crossed and the duel intensified. Dodging and slashing, the two duelists missed their targets, but Elizabeth easily defeated the guard when she cut his hand. He could no longer fight.

Hassan clapped. "Impressive…miss?"

"Turner. Elizabeth Turner," she said, still holding her blade. "Missus."

"Mrs. Turner, that was quite impressive," Hassan said. "What would a woman like you be doing in a place like this?"

Elizabeth was straight to business. "I need your help to free the Dutchman."

Jack's eyes widened and he turned away from Hassan, whose glance turned towards him. "I thought you said she wasn't yours. A mere woman, Jack."

Jack smiled. "She's no mere woman, mate. She's the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, and above all else, the elected Pirate King."

"Pirate king," Hassan nodded, rubbing his chin. "Mmm…yes. A girl with determination like you deserves that title."

"I need your help, because my husband is the captain of that cursed ship. I want to free him. Captain Barbossa said it was something of natural order," Elizabeth explained.

"Barbossa is here, too? Wow, it's like my birthday today," Hassan replied. "But, you won't be going off that easily, Mrs. Turner. See, you're on land now. I rule the trade routes around here."

Elizabeth gripped her rapier. "I can take more of your Falcon members."

Hassan laughed loudly. "She is so funny, Jack!" he patted Jack hard on the back and continued laughing. "A fitting Pirate King, but Mrs. Turner, do you think any of my Falcons would fall so easily? Very well, then. You asked for this. Tsau!"

He called out one of his Falcon members, who slowly started to walk down the steps of the third floor. Although Elizabeth didn't see him, the closer the steps sounded, the stronger his presence grew. The tension in the air was thickening due to the anticipation of the Falcon's arrival. Once he was in sight, she knew it was the one who attacked the East India Trading Company. The darkness from his hood completely covered his face, and although he was not as big as the guard, he was much more intimidating in his imposing posture and movements.

"Here's your chance, Mrs. Turner," Hassan said. "Can you subsist against one of the Falcons? Go easy on her, now."

Elizabeth picked up the guard's sword and wielded both, for she knew that he possessed dual blades. The Falcon unsheathed both his katana blades that were used to kill British troops earlier today. He began circling her, stepping around before he engaged. She went in first, but his reactions were fast. He parried every strike she could take at him, and it seemed as if he was toying with her. Another moment of strikes passed, then Jack pulled out a gun that he concealed on himself. The Falcon quickly kicked one of Elizabeth's rapiers and it landed on the wall Jack's chair was in front of, next to his face. Hassan lowered the gun.

"Be easy now, Mr. Sparrow," Hassan said. "It's just a little fun."

Elizabeth, now with only one blade in hand, waited for his next move. The assassin stood straight up from his stance and sheathed both of his blades. She was surprised that he would give up both of his katana. He cracked his knuckles and got into a martial arts fighting stance. Elizabeth waited a little longer, and then lunged in for the attack, but he dodged and kicked the blade from her hand straight up into the ceiling, and it was now stuck there. She retreated back towards the wall unarmed, and with quick instinct, pulled out a gun from her waist. Anticipating the gun, the assassin, in a lightning-fast movement, smacked the gun from her hand. Following the parry, he forced his right forearm on her neck and pushed her up against the wall. She futilely struggled to break free, but he was too strong. The assassin raised his left hand up close to her face, and a mechanical sound snapped in his left wrist. Following, a small blade clicked out from his wrist like a switchblade, and like the blink of an eye, the blade shot out from the sheath. She stood still, for the blade was only millimeters away from her face. The small, mechanical switchblade strapped onto his left wrist was concealed very well, and she knew she failed to defeat him. All too easily he bested her, and she still couldn't see his face under that hood, not even at this proximity.

"Tsau, that's enough," Hassan said. The assassin tightened his fist and the blade clicked back into its place. He pulled the rapier down from the ceiling and handed it to Elizabeth. "So, now you know the basic abilities of my assassins, Mrs. Turner. Tsau was merely being humble by sheathing both of his katana. If he had gone full speed, things would have been ugly."

Elizabeth let out a quiet chuckle. "I wasn't expecting the wristblade."

"Ah, but an assassin is a master of deception and hand-to-hand combat, is he not?" Hassan stated with a surprised smile. "Tsau here is Chinese, and the best martial artist in the Order of the White Falcon. _He_ will travel with you to free the Dutchman."

Elizabeth was surprised. "Just like that?"

Hassan laughed. "Yes. Jack has explained the situation to me. Tsau, here, will meet you at the Black Pearl by sunset."

"I'm afraid we don't need any more men on our ship," Jack said. Then he nervously signaled towards Tsau. "Plus he's a little…scary."

Laughing once again, seemingly amused by the events that have occurred, Hassan wrapped his arms around Jack. "Tsau is a man of intelligence and philosophy, Mr. Sparrow. Not only the best fighter of my clan, but by far the most clever one of all. He is also the only one who is willing to help you on your little quest."

Elizabeth looked at Tsau, the assassin who stood beside Hassan with his arms crossed. She walked up to him and held out a hand. "Thank you for helping us, Tsau. This really means a lot to me."

Tsau let a moment pass by, then removed his hood so she could see his face. He was actually an attractive man with a short shaved haircut and a thin, but nicely shaven goatee. He might be a few good years younger than she was, about the same age Will was when Barbossa was cursed by Aztec Gold. It really matched his look, but he might be just a little too good looking to be an assassin, she thought. "There is a lot more here at stake than you think. I am honored to help," he humbly said, shaking her hand.

Elizabeth smiled because in actuality he looked very approachable. "Thank you once again. I'll see you on the ship."

Jack stood up after they shook hands. "No shaking hands for me, mate. Not with that wristblade of yours." They headed downstairs and out the bar.

After they left, Hassan looked at Tsau. "So, what do you think?"

Tsau sighed after what he just saw within the past few minutes. "It's going to be one long journey, man."

**I'll be back with Chapter 6 hopefully soon. Once again, thanks for the reviews.**


	6. Retracing Steps

**It's been a few days, huh? Haha. I've been busy, but managed to finish Chapter 6. Hope you guys like it.**

**Chapter 6: Retracing Steps**

"We've managed to avoid drowning!" Bootstrap exclaimed, holding on to a wooden plank.

Will looked up as rain began to fall from the sky. It wasn't much of a storm, but just a light drizzle. "Well done, men. Let's get back to the Dutchman, shall we?"

Swimming with some of his crewmembers, Will made way towards his ship. The battle with the black vessel was intensely surprising, but he made it through. Somehow, after awhile, the undead bodies started turning back into sand, and the black sand blew away out into the sea. It didn't matter, though. Will still had a job to do. Not only carrying over the souls, but he had to find the lost ones Davy Jones never cleaned up. Climbing up to his ship, he stepped up towards the helm and turned it around, heading towards the other world. A soul stepped out from the cabin of the ship and rushed upstairs.

"Captain!" he exclaimed. "I heard some cannon fire. Is something wrong?"

Will looked at the man, and noticed that it was Elizabeth's father, former Governor Weatherby Swann. "Mr. Swann."

The old man's eyes lit up. "Mr. Turner! It is so good to see you. Oh, I never thought I would see you again. I was lost for a long period of time."

Mr. Swann spoke hastily, but Will just nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"Where's the captain? Shouldn't you be with Elizabeth right now? How is she? How was the wedding? I saw you with her yesterday. You should go back, this is no place for the living, you know. I'm dead, remember? I saw you with that Jack Sparrow a few days ago," he spoke.

Bootstrap's eyes kept flying over to whoever was talking. Will scratched his head and cleared his throat. "Umm, Mr. Swann. That was eight years ago. I'm the new captain of the ship."

Mr. Swann laughed. "Oh, quit your lollygagging, William. Is that supposed to be a father/son-in-law joke?"

Will's face was dead serious. "No, Mr. Swann. You've been in a deep sleep from being lost. I was almost killed by Davy Jones, but in the end, I was made captain of this ship. Your daughter—my wife—holds my heart at the moment."

After a good laugh, the governor began breaking into tears. "I knew it. Somehow I just did. I could feel the sadness in the air; I just never came to accept it. Do you ever get to see Elizabeth anymore?"

"I'm sure we have a son, but I won't get to see him for another two years," Will explained. "You're a grandfather. Both of you, actually. Mr. Swann, meet my father, William Turner."

Bill shook the governor's hand. "Call me Bootstrap or Bill."

"Governor Weatherby Swann. A pleasure to meet you in my dead state," he replied. "Will, I'm sure Elizabeth will be pleased to see you again, but what was that disturbance just now?"

"I don't know, Mr. Swann," Will responded. "Something is hunting us. I don't plan to move any slower than we are now. We're going at maximum speed. I won't take any chances."

"Do you think it might have to do with your status as captain?" Swann asked.

Will looked down. "Maybe. In the meantime, why don't you go to your cabin with the other souls until we arrive to the other side?"

"No, let me explain," he insisted.

Will looked up to him. "Explain what?"

"See, when that disturbance occurred, one of the souls on the ship, Mr. Johnson, complained of a headache. Knowing that he was dead already, a group of us decided to check on him. When we saw him, he was pale and his eyes were completely pitch black. Shortly thereafter, a black cloud formed in the center of his cabin, and it ate his soul. He is gone now, Mr. Turner," Mr. Swann explained.

Will was shocked to hear this. "Since when do souls die?" he asked, then looked at his father, who shrugged. "We better hurry. That black cloud is a bigger threat to us than anything we know. If it can wipe out souls from existence, than we should make haste."

"Say 'hello' to Elizabeth for me when you see her," his father-in-law added.

"I will, Mr. Swann. I want to see her soon," Will said.

After the governor retreated back to the cabin decks, Will returned to his duties at the helm. "A soul…wiped away."

"That's worse than death, Will," his father said.

"The Dutchman is no longer safe," Will asserted. "I must find answers soon, or else the black cloud will return and take away the souls of our passengers. I might have to postpone the job."

"Right," his father said. "If there is a disturbance with death, then there shouldn't be any penalty with the captain. A similar, less alarming situation came upon Davy Jones one time, and we did not suffer for it."

"After we arrive and depart, I'll have to journey back to the live world," Will said. "Maybe _she'll_ be on the waters. I might catch a glimpse of her."

Bootstrap nodded. "Or the same thing could be happening to their world."

"That's what I fear," Will replied. "Let's hurry."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The assassin had his knapsack hanging on his shoulder as he walked towards the dock. Everyone looked at him and showed him a decent amount of respect while he walked through. Finally, when he came to the Black Pearl, he was surprised that the ship was pretty sizable compared to the others he has seen. Walking up the wooden plank to the deck, he noticed that the ship was lively, with people at work and captains ordering them around. He continued walking until he ran into Elizabeth.

"Mrs. Turner," he greeted with a bow.

"Call me Elizabeth," she said. "Your cabin is downstairs with the rest of the crew, but you'll be getting a separate guest room, because frankly I don't know who could survive down there anyway."

"Thanks, Elizabeth," he replied. "I'll meet you in the captain's quarters after I set my stuff down."

"I'll see you there," she said.

Tsau walked towards the steps to the lower deck, but bumped into Zi on the way up. "Oops, sorry."

"Excuse me," he returned, not looking back. He could've sworn he saw her before, but he couldn't remember.

"Is that the guy?" Zi asked Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, that's him. He'll be traveling with us. Don't get too curious, though, he might try to assassinate you."

Zi laughed. "Yeah, sure. Well, it's a bit late, so I'm going to turn in. Good night, Elizabeth."

"Good night," Elizabeth said, parting with her for the night.

Tsau walked into his room and set his bag down, then proceeding to setting up the room to his liking. Soon after, he walked back out and up the stairs again, headed towards the captains, quarters, catching almost all of the attention of the working crew. All of them looked slightly intimidated, which discouraged Tsau on whether the Black Pearl had a flawless pirate crew. He opened the door to the captain's quarters, where Elizabeth, Jack, and Barbossa sat around a round table, leaving one empty seat for him. Tsau uncovered his hood and took off his coat, leaving only his homemade undershirt, which showed his compact muscular physique. The only thing left behind was his wristblade, which he still kept strapped to his left forearm. Sitting down, he eyed all of the captains and exhaled a breath.

"My name is Tsau Nu Tua of the Order of the White Falcon. Who would like to start?" Tsau said. "Should we take turns telling each other our names and short backgrounds or get to the point?"

Barbossa, who did not get the chance to meet Tsau yet, let out a pirate-y chuckle. "Ye picked up a clever one. I like that."

Elizabeth's glance flung towards Tsau. "Okay. How do we free the Dutchman?"

Tsau sighed. "The origins of the Dutchman come from Calypso, the sea goddess. Of course, you have already heard this story if your husband is the captain," he explained. Everyone's attention was drawn to him as he spoke. "If you want the bare truth, down to the cold, hard facts, then I'll just say it. The Dutchman was never supposed to exist. Of course, superstitious pirates will always deny this, but it is a fact."

"Then why was it created?" Elizabeth asked. Jack crossed his arms and kept his attention close.

Clearing his throat, Tsau leaned back in his chair. "The Dutchman's purpose was to substitute for one being, and one being only…"

"And that is…?" Jack asked.

"The Angel of Death…" Tsau said straightforwardly. "There is always an angel of death in any religion, just different names. The Angel governs only one purpose, which is to carry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. It's not entirely evil, but more of a necessary being because it transports souls. Centuries ago, a British pirate by the name of Rufus the Black disturbed the Angel, causing injury and crippled the process of carrying souls. In the event, the Angel's soul collapsed within itself, and the end result was an antagonistic doppelganger, known as Necromortalis. In Latin, it means 'The Death of Mortals.' It no longer carried souls, but it brought death. Free to kill anyone it pleases. Sometimes, when a man dies by the Necromortalis, they don't even get to enter heaven nor see the gates of hell. The select lives taken by the Necro disappear into nothingness, and the souls suffer an eternity of boredom in an endless purgatory. This is where the Dutchman comes in. Calypso, the pirates' sea god, ordered for a ship to be in place of the Angel. The ship selected was of course, the Flying Dutchman."

"…Yes, but how to do we free it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Easy, I'm getting there," Tsau said in slight irritation. "The only way I know of to free it is to find a way to trap the whole Necromortalis into the chest of Davy Jones. Since I haven't looked into how to trap it, there could be other ways, but right now, this is all I know. Do you have the chest?"

Everyone at the table turned to Elizabeth. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words failed to come out. "I-I might have left it back at Port Royal."

"Then we should head there immediately," Tsau said.

"But why? There's no hurry," she interrupted.

Tsau sighed and kept a strong gaze. "Look, I told you earlier today that there is much more at stake here than you think. It's not just your husband, Elizabeth. The Necromortalis grows hungry, and if someone just happened to know how to manipulate it, just ONE person, then no one is safe. Today I had to kill members of the East India Trading Company. Their new leader might be, or has been using the Necro. Why rule only the sea with the Dutchman when you can own both sea and land? Death itself is more powerful than your husband's ship. It will manipulate you, anger you, smother you with guilt, or destroy you. It is much smarter and deceptive than you think, and it turns into what you fear the most, and uses it against you."

"How do ye know all this much about Death?" Barbossa asked.

"My blades have crossed with it one too many times," Tsau replied. "I am lucky to be alive. Time is running out. I could feel Death around the corner. Someone has assumed control of it, and the East India Trading Company just might be the cause. Now, our first objective is to head towards Port Royal and get the chest and the heart. That is what I'd be looking for if I controlled death. If the Dutchman is out of the way, then there is nothing that can stop it. The Necromortalis can also amass an entire undead army in the blink of an eye. You have an instant infantry if you control it."

"Really?" Jack asked, being quite interested.

"I wouldn't try to control death, Mr. Sparrow. It's a curse, I heard," Tsau stated.

Elizabeth nodded. "Right. So, shall we head back to Port Royal, then?"

"Yeah," Tsau said. "It's time to backtrack."

**Don't know when I'll be back with Chapter 7, but I hope it'll be soon if I'm not busy. Hope you liked it!**


	7. A Ruined Torture

**Well, guys. Here's Chapter 7. It's a bit longer than the other chapters, so you might find yourselves consuming a bit more time reading it. Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 7: A Ruined Torture**

The morning was once again cool. The ride on the Pearl was a lot smoother than Tsau thought it would be. Later today, they might reach Port Royal, and he looked forward to solving the Dutchman. Everyday he questioned why death chased him. Assassination was his job, but he always assassinated bad men. God really did not favor him, and he guessed that sending death to him was the Lord's way of punishment. All Tsau wanted was forgiveness for the sins he had committed. Sighing, sitting on the steps to the helm, Tsau kept an eye up on the, once again, overcast sky. The thoughts of his assassinations flew through his mind.

"Ruthless," he whispered under his breath. He stood up and leaned on the ship side.

"Good morning," a voice said behind him. With his hood over his head, he turned to see the Asian girl he bumped into last night. His memory tried to trace back to who she was, because he remembered that face.

"It's not that great," Tsau replied.

She stepped down and stood next to him. "Sorry I bumped into you last night."

"No need to apologize," Tsau responded, trying to distance the conversation away from her.

"I'm Zi Lang," she said with a smile, holding out a hand.

Tsau's memory suddenly snapped, and the name Zi Lang brought back a lot of buried memories of his past. He remembered who she was, what she was like, but couldn't figure out why she was here. He couldn't forget that smile she gave off. An invisible smirk came across his face under his hood. What were the chances that he'd bump into _her_ again?

"You mean Zi Joon Kwon Lang," Tsau replied without shaking her hand, catching her by surprise. "Your mother's Korean, remember?"

Zi's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. It was odd that someone like him would know of her parents. "Do we know each other? I don't recall telling random people about my parents."

"I know about you more than you think, Izzi," Tsau said.

Zi had a bewildered look on her face. "Only one person that I remember calls me by that name. Izzi."

"Of course," he said, taking his hood off. "He's right in front of you."

She gasped. "TSAU!!!!!" she exclaimed loudly, hugging him. Her embrace was extremely tight.

"Yeah…" he replied, running out of breath. "…suffocating here…just to let you know…"

She let go and smiled. "Wow! I never expected you be here!"

"Likewise," Tsau said, keeping his cool.

"How've you been? It's been…what? 9 years since I last saw you?" she asked.

Tsau shrugged. "10. I've been okay. What about you?"

"Just…following in my dad's footsteps, I guess," Zi replied. "It's been awhile since I've seen him…and mom, too. Wow, Tsau. You've really grown. Last time I saw you, you were like a little boy."

"Yeah, I've grown," Tsau replied. "I could say the same about you."

She smiled, and nodded. "Oh, I think I hear Gibbs calling me. Gotta work, Tsau. Talk to ya later!"

Leaving him with one more hug, he sighed with a slight smile and turned back out into the ocean. Was it really such a strong coincidence that she happened to be on the same ship with him? Either way, it was bad for him to see her. Rather, it was bad for her to see him like this, in the form of an assassin. If there are any lives he must take in the future, hopefully she doesn't see him do it. His thoughts roamed further for another few moments.

"So, your name is Tsau Nu Tua," Elizabeth said, approaching him from behind.

Tsau turned around and leaned back against the ship side. "Yeah, that's right."

"What does it mean?" she asked.

"In Miao Chinese, it means 'Dark Sunrise.' Not a very good name," Tsau answered.

Elizabeth let out a silent chuckle. "It has a bit of mystery to it. I saw Zi talking to you and hugging you. What was that about?"

"Zi, apparently, is a childhood friend of mine," Tsau said, looking down.

"Really?" Elizabeth asked in a surprised tone. "What are the chances of running into her?"

Tsau looked down. "I don't know. Too strong of a coincidence if you ask me. I'll have to keep a sharp eye. Anyway, Izzi and I were just catching up a bit," he said, clearing his throat.

Elizabeth noticed the look on his face when he spoke about Zi, even the way he called her. Izzi. That look reminded her of Will's, and she knew that expression all too well to ignore it. "You were in love with her, weren't you?"

"I don't like speaking of my personal life," Tsau said, turning away from her.

Elizabeth had a wicked smile. "Oh, so the cold, heartless assassin has a soft spot, too, huh?"

He grunted irritably. "I'll show you heartless," Tsau said under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked.

Tsau cleared his throat. "Nothing. I just wanted to know how long it would take to get to Port Royal."

"You'll like it," she said. "It's quite peaceful there when you think of it. But I'm sure you don't favor the British settlements over the settlements in Aswad Mohit."

"It doesn't matter, as long as I get mine," Tsau stated.

"Just like an assassin," she replied. "What's it like, then? Are there any rules to your contracts?"

Tsau let out a slight chuckle, and she noticed that it was the first time she saw him in a slight laugh. "Interested, huh? I think you're better off a pirate."

"I just want to know," she alleged.

"Well, if you want an honest truth," Tsau started. "An assassin's life is harder than you think. It's not about the fun or thrill, or the freedom. I have to be completely ruthless, with no regrets, no conscience. Sometimes, I'd have to eliminate witnesses, which aren't necessarily the enemy. The only point on the job is getting the job done in the cleanest fashion you can perform. I've done a lot of sinning."

"But you're loyal to the Order," she said in clarification. "Right?"

"The Order is just a group of mercenaries," Tsau told her. "They lay their loyalties to no one, and they only lend their hands to the richest client. We're bound to no rules, which makes us free men, as well, until we're on the job. Luckily, Altair Hassan is also a pirate, so he acts on his own free will, and pays us for murder. That's why you saw me act against the East India Trading Company. If I weren't paid, I wouldn't do it. Most of us are self-governed, and act on our own accord. Don't think of us as some religious cult or anything. We're just a group of free men, willing to kill for money."

Fascinated, Elizabeth nodded. "Really…then why do you do it?"

"I don't like personal questions." Tsau looked down and sighed with negativity. A moment passed between them before he sighed again. "Killing was the only thing I was ever good at, so it's just a path I chose to follow."

A quiet moment passed between them as thoughts began forming in their minds. It was hard to understand why he did it, but she decided to accept it. Zi walked up the stairs as if she heard most of the conversation. Her once enthusiastic feeling about Tsau was somewhat diminished.

"So then, I guess the first kill is the toughest, huh?" Zi asked smoothly.

Tsau shook his head. "No. The second kill is the hardest."

"Why is that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because of what you go through after the first kill," Tsau replied, walking away.

Elizabeth's eyes then drew to Zi. "Izzi," she said with a smile.

"Yeah," Zi said, her eyes still following Tsau. "That's me. He's changed a lot."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They soon arrived at Port Royal, which was exactly the same as when Elizabeth left. Merchants and traders still passed through regularly, and children still played in the town square. The Black Pearl hung up its white sails and began to dock. After the walking plank dropped, Elizabeth stepped out with her son, who had been sleeping, along with Jack, Tsau, and Zi. Barbossa stayed behind with the crew.

"So, where is your house?" Zi asked as they began walking past the docks.

"It's a bit far away from here," she said. "Come on, Bill."

Bill took her by the hand. "Mum, are we home?"

"Yes," she said. "We are."

As they continued walking, Tsau and Jack remained behind them, far enough to be having their own conversation.

Tsau's eyes lingered back and forth between his surroundings. "Hmm…something's wrong."

Jack turned to him. "Then keep a sharp eye."

"_I'm_ the assassin," Tsau replied. "_You_ keep a sharp eye."

"I don't think I need your help, Assassin," Jack responded.

Tsau finally turned to him. "Where are we going with this?"

"Where are _you_ going with this?"

"Whatever," Tsau scoffed.

Jack looked around and got a bit serious. "Don't worry. I sense it, too."

"Good. Stay aware."

They approached the large, two story house that Elizabeth lived in, and Tsau kept up at the front with Elizabeth to check the perimeter, but he had not told her why he was doing so.

Before they reached the house, his look drew to her. "So, Elizabeth. Do you mind me asking you how old you are?"

"32," she responded. "A little too old for you, I'm afraid."

Tsau raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Then do you mind asking me how old you are?" she asked.

"27," Tsau replied.

"Why did you ask me then?" Elizabeth said.

"You look a lot younger," Tsau said, continuing to walk. "More than you did when I first saw you."

Elizabeth had a smile. Maybe the Aqua Vitae really _was_ kicking in, because she drank it a few nights ago. "Hmm…I wonder what that could be." She looked behind her shoulder to Zi, who let out a giggle. "Maybe I am blessed."

"As blessed as the Fountain of Youth…" Tsau replied, walking faster to reach the house. "…that Jack was promised Hassan for my services."

Elizabeth turned to Jack, who was lagging behind, and gave him a nasty look. Jack looked down, and did not look at her.

"So, I guess he didn't tell you then," Tsau said. "Did he share bottles with you two?"

Elizabeth was left wordless. "…umm…"

"So what if he did?" Zi said in a sharp, defensive voice.

"That just gives me a better reason to fulfill my contract, then," Tsau answered.

Bill, who held his mom's hand, looked up at his mother. "Mother, what does he mean by contract?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Nothing, dear."

"Don't worry about it, kid," Tsau said in a confident manner, stepping up to the porch. "You wouldn't want to know."

"I know that my father is a pirate. I think it's rather intriguing," Bill commented.

"Yes, that's what worries me," Elizabeth said, repeating the exact same words her father once said.

Tsau had a slight smirk across his face. "Then I guess you'll just have to follow your heart if you want to."

"And you don't?" Zi asked. "Follow your heart, I mean."

"An assassin never thinks with his emotions. He never thinks about how to do things down here…" Tsau said, pointing to his heart. "…but thinks about how to do things up here," he replied, pointing to his head.

Bill was fascinated by Tsau's description. "And what of pirates?"

"Take Jack for example," Tsau said. Everyone looked at Jack, who noticed this and became self conscious. "A typical, standard example of a pirate. A paradigm. Pirates _do_ think with their heads…to an extent. They are lesser beings if hired for an assassination, because they often let their greed blind them from the smart thing to do. If I put a chest of gold and a dying man in front of Jack, he'd most likely go for the chest of gold."

"And what would you do?" Zi then asked, with Elizabeth keeping her attention.

"Yes, Tsau," Elizabeth said. "What would you do? I thought you didn't care much about others. An assassin like you would rather save the dying man?"

"No," Tsau said with a slightly wicked smile. "I'd kill the dying man for the price on his head, then take the gold." The two girls were taken aback by his statement, and did not rebuttal. "Shall we continue?"

They stepped onto the wood floors of the house.

"So you would give that man a slow and painful death, then?" Zi asked Tsau.

Tsau looked at the scenery and stepped ahead. "I never said I was a sadist. I try to get it over with as quick as possible."

He turned around and Zi saw the black dagger on his waist. "Hey, what's this?" she said, reaching for it.

Tsau backed away. "A little feisty there, are we?" he said with a smirk. "Never touch the dagger."

"Just wanted to see," Zi said.

"Straight to it, huh?" Tsau replied, heading towards the living room. Elizabeth walked upstairs to find the chest, but before she reached the top step, British soldiers rushed out from the rooms and held her up. The same thing happened downstairs. Jack, who remained outside, saw this and snuck away into the bushes. Tsau, Zi, Elizabeth, and Bill were seized by troops.

Elizabeth gave them a confused look. "What is the meaning of this?"

Footsteps began their way down the stairs. "Where do you keep the chest, Mrs. Turner?"

Everyone looked upstairs to see Governor Blackwell slowly walk down the stairs. A finely built and handsome man, he had broad shoulders and was slightly taller than Tsau, with deep blue eyes and a devilish suave expression.

"Governor Blackwell," Elizabeth said. "Call your troops back. I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can imply many things about me," Blackwell replied. "But don't imply me as a fool. I need that chest, Mrs. Turner."

"I don't know where it is," Elizabeth asserted.

Blackwell had an evil smirk across his face. "But you know _what_ it is."

Elizabeth didn't answer, and he smiled once again.

"Very well, then," Blackwell said.

Tsau stepped in front of Elizabeth. "If she doesn't know where it is, then she doesn't know where it is."

Blackwell looked at him. "You must be the assassin. General Zhao told me many things about you."

Tsau exhaled a chuckle. "So, that opium selling bastard is still alive, then?"

"He sent me a message about you," Blackwell said. "I know more than you think, Mr. Tsau."

"Good," Tsau said, keeping his composure. "You can send him a message back. Tell him that I'll _gladly_ kill the both of you for free."

An angering scowl came upon Blackwell's face, who then decided to calm down and look at Elizabeth again. "Look, I don't like being a savage here. Just tell me where the chest is, and I'll be on my way."

"Why do you want it?" she asked, holding on to her son.

Jack flattened his back against the side of the house, listening through an open window.

"The same reason you do, just for different uses," Blackwell replied. "I guess you won't tell me, then," he then gestured to one of his soldiers. "Take the son. We'll find the chest soon enough."

Elizabeth gasped. "No!"

One of the soldiers grabbed Bill by the arm and started pulling him away, but Elizabeth held on tight, yelling and resisting. After awhile of struggling, another soldier came and hit Elizabeth in the chest with the butt of his rifle and she let go, falling back onto the floor.

Blackwell and his troops stepped out the door. "You six, stay here and finish them off."

The captain gave a cruel smile. "Gladly, guv."

The six soldiers went into the house and shut the door. Right after that, they tied up everyone by their hands, wrapped cloths around their mouths, and set them down against the wall. Three of them went into a separate room. The captain set down his gun and sat while the other two soldiers stood up.

"Now," the captain said. "We're just finding the proper tools to finish you off with, but we won't do it so quickly. We'll take our time, and have a little knife-cutting fun with you two girls. But the man's got to go."

The soldier with the gun gestured to Tsau. "Go! To the other room. The others will take care of you."

Tsau stood up as one soldier took him to the other room. The leader of the troops kept his eyes fixed on the two women. "As I said, we'll have a little fun. This won't be short, and you won't like it."

After a moment passed, sounds of fumbling came from the room Tsau was taken to, and muffled screams came from the room as slashing sounds were heard. It sounded like a lot of terror, and the leader and his other soldier listened coldly to the sounds of death coming from the other room.

"Cap'n, I gotta take a leak," a soldier said.

"Aye, go," the captain replied, paying more attention to the killing. "What's going on in there?!" he asked loudly towards the other room.

The door opened down the hallway and a soldier had his rifle pointed towards Tsau, who had a cloth bag over his head. The captain stood up as the soldier came in.

"Bloody hell, you can't do things correctly, or what?!" the captain shouted. He pulled out his pistol and shot Tsau in the head, and Tsau fell against the wall, instantly lifeless. Zi and Elizabeth watched in utter shock, breaking into tears for what was about to happen next. The captain then turned to them.

"Well then," he said sadistically, putting his gun back. "Let's begin, shall we?"

He pulled out a knife from his hand and smiled. Before he could take another step, the soldier behind him wrapped his right hand underneath his jaw and swiftly lifted it up, exposing his neck. His left hand then came around and a wristblade shot out from it and the soldier shoved it into the captain's neck, and twisted his wrist, making the blade produce disturbing noises. The captain couldn't breathe as the blade was being twisted into his neck. The soldier behind him pushed him over as he collapsed.

After his life faded away, the soldier wiped the blood off his wristblade onto his shirt and tore the shirt off, exposing his white homemade undershirt, and removed the soldier's pants that were worn over his real ones. Lastly, the soldier took off his helmet that overshadowed his face, and tossed the helmet aside. Tsau, who had just removed his soldier disguise, went over to the dead man with the cloth bag over his head and removed his white coat from him, putting it back on himself. Lastly, he picked up the captain's knife and released Elizabeth and Zi, who were overwhelmed with relief that he was still alive.

"Tsau!" Zi said, hugging him.

"Yeah, easy," Tsau said, slowly pushing her away. "We have to get back to the ship."

Elizabeth had a smile and wiped away her tears. "Thanks a lot for rescuing us. We thought you were dead."

"Come on," Tsau replied in a slight cocky tone. "I'm an assassin."

"What did you do to the other soldiers?" Zi asked.

Tsau sighed. "You don't wanna go into the other room. It's a bit messy. Sorry about that, Elizabeth."

"It's fine," Elizabeth then looked around. "Where's Jack?"

The soldier that took a break came from the bathroom, then looked at the three. "Hey, you!"

Before he moved, a shot was fired behind him and he fell over. Jack blew the smoke and put away his pistol. "Well, aren't _we_ in for a surprise today? We need to get that chest."

With everyone here, Tsau decided to carry on with the plan. "Where is it?" Tsau asked Elizabeth.

Elizabeth stuttered. "B-But my son—"  
"He'll be fine," Tsau claimed. "We'll get him back for you."

Elizabeth nodded and went upstairs, with the other three following her. Almost stumbling over, she rushed down the hallway, knocking over some vases with flowers in them. She went to her bedroom and uncovered the rug that had a small trap door underneath it.

"In the bedroom," Tsau stated, looking out towards the sea. "How original."

She lifted the chest up to her bed. "Here it is."

Tsau turned away from the windows. "Okay, you'll have to find a container for the heart. I'm not sure what to do with it, but I'll find out something."

Elizabeth nodded. "Okay."

"We'll wait until midnight to head back to the ship," Jack said. "Zi, you should go back and tell the crew that we're waiting here. The sea is right by Elizabeth's house anyway, so we'll find a way to get down to the water."

Zi nodded and left. "Yeah, okay."

"Be careful," Tsau said to her. She turned around and flashed a smile.

"Hopefully they won't catch us," Elizabeth said as Zi left.

Tsau began to gather equipment. "I'll make sure they don't."

**I'm beginning on chapter 8 as soon as I can, so I'll update soon.**


	8. The Dagger of Black Death

**Here's Chapter 8, guys. Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 8: The Dagger of Black Death**

The green flash sparked in the middle of the ocean as the Flying Dutchman came in. Will's eyes set sight onto the real world once again.

"So, what now cap'n?" Bootstrap asked him. "To Port Royal?"

"Aye," Will said. "Hopefully she is there…she _will_ be there. With haste! Hoist the sails!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting against the wall, Tsau untied a package from his waist and opened the small bag. Jack wandered around the house to look for some rum, because numerous good hours had passed, and midnight came soon enough. Elizabeth sat on the other side and noticed the black dagger on his waist when he lifted his coat to expose it.

"You seemed a bit defensive about that dagger when Zi reached for it," Elizabeth said. "Why?"

"Yeah," Tsau replied, opening the small bag, then pulling out the dagger. "This dagger is much more important than you think. It's a little souvenir that was given to me before…"  
"Before what?" she asked.

Tsau slipped the dagger back and went back to his small bag. "Never mind," he said. He pulled out many shuriken from the bag.

"What's that?" she said.

"My God, you ask a lot of questions," he responded. "This is called a shuriken, a Japanese throwing weapon used by practitioners of Ninjutsu. They began appearing in feudal Japan in the 14th century, displaying incredible techniques of assassination. This kind of model is called the hira-shuriken, which is shaped much like a star. I prefer it over guns."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, but aren't guns more powerful?"

"Not when the shooter doesn't see you," Tsau replied, spinning a shuriken in his hand. "It's much quieter, and not as loud as guns are. Especially in the night. It'll help a lot."

She watched as he put them away for close access. "So do you really think we'll get out of this alive?"

"Well, putting the circumstances on hand," Tsau started, standing up. "That Mr. Blackwell of yours might come back by tonight because his soldiers didn't return. Seeing that the captain was quite sadistic, Blackwell could assume that he's taking his time, which buys us more time to leave."

"Aren't you supposed to say, 'Yes, we will make it out of this alive, don't worry'?" she then asked. "Just have a tad bit of faith, please."

"Sorry," Tsau said. "I'm a man of little faith, Elizabeth. The way I am is based on the life I was given, so I could say the same for you. Not everything works out for me, so I don't get my hopes up. It's either a sure victory or not. Don't hope. Do."

Elizabeth crossed her arms. "Your view on life is a bit…negative."

"Welcome to my world," he said, tightening his belt. "You should open your eyes every once in awhile. You're far better off than some people, namely, me."

Elizabeth turned towards the window as she stood up, and looked outside.

"Do you see them yet?" Tsau asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. I'm worried about Bill."

"Blackwell won't do anything to him," Tsau responded.

She looked at him. "How do you know that?"

Tsau straightened his coat. "You have something he wants, and he has something you want. He might try to strike a deal with you."

"You could be wrong, you know," she stated.

Nodding, he walked and stood next to her. "Could be, but the fact that your governor shares the same last name with Rufus is questionable."

Her eyes widened. "What? What do you mean?"

"Rufus the Black, releaser of the Necromortalis. His real name was Rufus Blackwell, a merchant trader turned pirate who released the Necro a couple of centuries ago, like I explained. This Governor Blackwell of yours could be a connection," Tsau explained. "He might want that chest to control the Necromortalis. That's why he probably asked only for the chest, not the heart of your husband."

"Where do you expect to find further information about this?" Elizabeth asked.

Tsau shrugged. "Where else do you go when you need answers about a myth? Find the myth itself. We'll need to board the Dutchman. Hassan told me a way to find more answers on that ship."

"What is the real reason why you're helping us, Tsau?" Elizabeth asked. "You don't seem to be the kind of man to lend a helping hand."

The Pearl appeared in the cove that was in her house's backyard, and Tsau was ready to leave. "I have my own reasons. They'll be clear soon enough."

Footsteps walked into the bedroom. "Of course, an assassin always has a reason for doing something," Jack said as he walked in.

"As do pirates," he replied, causing Elizabeth to look at Sparrow in a suspicious manner. "It's just a little odd that the most wanted pirate alive has never killed a person."

"An example of morality then," Jack countered. "But no one has ever successfully executed the now immortal Captain Jack Sparrow."

Tsau had a smirk. "Funny. No one has ever caught Tsau the Assassin before. He always gets away cleanly."

Jack scowled. "I see. I'm wanted for 10,001 Guineas, the most wanted pirate alive, and you?"

"100,000," Tsau replied. "Most wanted _man_ alive, but they can't seem to figure out which Falcon I am. 722 assassinations are my count, the highest in the history of any assassin that ever existed."

"Then I guess we have some differences, but overall similar," Jack replied with Tsau rolling his eyes. "But I _am_ immortal."

"How did you manage to get the bottles to package them?" Tsau asked.

Jack smiled. "Well, my friend. I am the world's biggest fan of rum, and we carry a lot of rum containers. Unfortunately, I gave my last bottle to Elizabeth. Living forever should be fun, eh?"

"It's not about living forever, Jack," Tsau said. "It's about living with yourself forever."

Jack had a puzzled look on his face, because those were the exact words that his father told him at the last gathering of the Brethren Court. Elizabeth gave Tsau a look as well, wondering if he also meant those words towards himself in that quote.

"I stay immortal to preserve piracy, mate," Jack replied. "And so does the Pearl."

"Everything comes to an end at some point," Tsau said. "What matters most is what you do in that period of time."

After another quiet moment, the three headed outside and towards the Black Pearl.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After that night, the passage towards sea was smooth and undisturbed, although the sky was still grey with clouds. They were back on the ship deck, sailing off into the sea. Elizabeth didn't want to think about what was happening to her son right now, but maybe Tsau is right. Hopefully her son is being kept safe in Blackwell's quarters.

"So, what be our plan?" Barbossa asked while up at the helm that morning.

Jack walked up the steps. "We search for the Dutchman. Head towards Davy Jones's Locker."

"Aye," Barbossa acknowledged. "Prepare, mateys, for the trip ahead will be a long one."

The ship sailed off further for the next few hours into midday, with a dead silence in the air. No one spoke of what had just happened or what will happened, but everyone just kept quiet and listened to the waves crashing against the ship. Tsau sat on the steps once again, and shut his eyes, daydreaming of his past and what used to be his heaven. Now, it has all passed, but meeting these new people, Elizabeth, Jack, Barbossa, young Bill, and reuniting with Zi sparked a very dim light in his dark world. It will be over soon, he thought. Hopefully the Angel of Death will forgive him, and wipe his sins away.

"Tsau?" Zi said.

Tsau sighed and opened his eyes, lifting his hood-covered head up. "What is it, Izzi?"

"Thanks for saving me," she said. "We really almost died yesterday."

"I needed you guys to survive so we could find that chest," Tsau replied, dropping his head back down.

Zi came and closely sat next to him. "That's all?" she asked in an almost sweet tone.

He could feel her almost leaning on him, and he was a bit uncomfortable with what she was trying to do. "Why else?" Tsau said expressionlessly.

A quiet period passed. She stood up and walked away quietly, without replying to what he said, and left him sitting alone on the steps, seemingly taking his last quote bitterly. Tsau sighed and shut his eyes again. Maybe he is just an ass. Maybe he just didn't have real social skills. Maybe his mindset really matches that of an assassin now. Maybe it was his nature to push everyone away from him. Whatever it was, it left Zi wondering about his personality. A long bit of time passed before the sky began drizzling.

"God, what is it with this weather?" Tsau whispered to himself. He sat quietly, and steps rushed towards him.

"Tsau!" Zi exclaimed.

"What is it now, Izzi?" Tsau asked. "I didn't do anything else worth thanking."

Zi leaned over the side of the ship, looking towards the distance. "There's a black cloud over there!"

Tsau's eyes immediately opened and he stood up. The cold drizzle ran against his hood as he stared in slight tension.

"Barbossa!" he said loudly.

"Arr, what comes upon ye?" the captain replied.

Tsau looked up to him. "Go faster!"

Barbossa looked towards his direction and saw the black cloud. "Aye!"

Elizabeth rushed from her cabin, and so did Jack from the captain's quarters. They were wondering what was happening, and looked at what Tsau's eyes rested on. The black cloud collapsed and a black ship formed. He shook his head and headed towards the lower deck.

"What's happening, Tsau?!" Elizabeth asked loudly as the wind began picking up and the rain fell harder.

Tsau looked at her as he walked past. "Ready your weapons. The undead come."

"Barbossa!" Elizabeth yelled over the wind. "Go faster!"

Barbossa rolled his eyes because Tsau had already told him that, but she was stopped by Tsau. "Don't. We can't outrun them, but I know how to fend them off."

She nodded, but Jack rushed past them to the lower decks, yelling for the crew to prepare for battle. The crew loaded the cannons and waited for the black ship to pull up next to them. The undead soldiers on the black deck were intensely intimidating, groaning and roaring because they did not have tongues. Tsau went to his cabin and fetched his dual katana, rushing back up to the deck, awaiting their move. Elizabeth drew her rapier, and so did Jack, Barbossa, and the crew. Pintel and Ragetti, along with other crewmembers loaded the cannons. The undead bodies retreated to the opposite side of the ship.

"Look, they're retreating," Elizabeth noted.

Tsau turned to Jack. "Fire."

Jack hesitated for a moment, because there was no logic in firing if they were retreating. But he soon called for it when they began running towards the ship. "Fire!"

The cannons blew holes into the black ship, and halved the undead crew. The rest landed safely on the Pearl, and they began attacking the crew. Tsau began slashing them one by one, and the rest of the crew fought. Gunshots, slashing, and cannonfire filled the air between the two ships as they struggled against one another. The undead soldiers began depleting in numbers, but as soon as one died, another came up from the deck. Tsau killed more and more, then rushed down to the lower deck.

"The black ship keeps growing back, Assassin Man!" Pintel yelled as Ragetti lit up another cannon.

"Apply more cannons. The black ship will collapse eventually," Tsau replied, rushing back up to the deck.

As he came up, killing more soldiers on the way, the captain swung from his ship to theirs. He towered a couple of feet over a normal man's height and had four arms, wielding four cutlasses in each. He had snake eyes and was very masculine with a steel helmet covering his head. Tsau drew both of his blades and began fighting with him, but all that was wasted was time and energy. Finally, after a long struggle, the undead captain managed to knock a katana from his hand, leaving him with only one.

"Tsau!" Zi shouted as she saw. Tsau signaled for her to stay back.

He evaded and parried many blows that came from the four armed beast, trying to survive long enough to pull off his counterattack. Finally, when the timing was right, Tsau somersaulted backwards away from the captain and pulled a shuriken from his waist. In a quick snap of his wrist and forearm, the shuriken cut through the air and rain quickly, and pierced one of the captain's snake eyes. Roaring in pain and aggravation, Tsau rushed back into confrontation. With a desperate right handed swing from the captain, Tsau rolled under the blade's path and ended up kneeling behind the captain. With his one katana, he cut all the supporting tendons to the captain's legs and the captain collapsed to his knees. Backflipping from behind the captain to the front of him, Tsau stood up as the captain's head was now chest level to him. He was now weak and tried one last hack at Tsau with his upper right hand, but Tsau quickly reacted and sliced off his arm. The undead captain shrieked a snake-roar, but Tsau followed through with a swift, lefty baseball-like stroke across his neck. The head of the captain went flying off into the air as Tsau's katana decapitated him, and the rest of the undead soldiers looked towards Tsau. When the head dropped, the soldiers began groaning as if in pain and they all collapsed into sand slowly. Everyone had their eyes at Tsau, too.

The captain's head lay beside Tsau's foot, and not wasting another moment, Tsau pulled the black dagger from his waist and ruthlessly stabbed the captain in his cranium. The black dagger began to glow, and all the sands from the crew and the captain himself gathered into the dagger. The ship turned to sand, as well, and all the black sand went towards Tsau's weapon. When all the sand disappeared, Tsau spun the dagger a few times before sheathing it onto his waist again. Everyone stared in bemusement, and he sighed. The crew began shouting in victory and Barbossa traveled back up the helm to continue moving. Jack, along with Elizabeth and Zi, came up to Tsau, glancing at the sheathed dagger on his waist.

"What was that?" Zi asked.

Tsau picked up both of his katana. "That is just a small taste of the Necromortalis Army."

"Where did you get that dagger?" Jack asked him.

Tsau's eyes drew to him. "You know what this is?"

"The Dagger of Black Death," Jack replied in a confident manner. "It is a myth around the pirate world."

"Myths are based on reality, aren't they?" Tsau said. "This dagger is what will help us seal the Necromortalis into the chest of Davy Jones…or William Turner. I had to keep quiet about it so that Blackwell did not take it."

"Yes, I noticed how the dagger collects the sands of the undead," Elizabeth stated. "After you defeated the captain, of course."

Tsau nodded. "Strike the heart of the crew and the rest will take care of itself."

"Well spoken," Jack said.

"So, now you know just how serious this is, then?" Tsau told Elizabeth. "We need to find the Dutchman."

Jack stepped up to the helm. "Right. To Tortuga!"

"Tortuga?" Zi asked.

He nodded. "Aye, I have a hunch that the Dutchman is already in this world." and pulled out his compass and passed it to Elizabeth. She looked at the compass and it pointed to the reverse direction they came from. "Aye?"

She looked up at him. "Aye! To Tortuga!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will rushed up the streets of Port Royal and sprinted all the way to Elizabeth's house. He was happy to be home again, and wanted to ensure her safety. The only one accompanying him was his father, Bootstrap, while the ship was docked at a remote area outside the port. Will was huffing for air by the time he reached the outside of the house. He walked up the porch steps with his father and opened the door, only to discover excessive amounts of blood and bodies left behind. He began breathing heavily and fell to his knees. Was this really what life would give him for his return? Almost breaking into tears, his father rested his hand on his shoulder.

"Son," he spoke. "Open your eyes. Investigate the scene, because it's not what it looks like."

Will stood up and watched the bodies, trying to figure out what had happened. The stains of blood and the fresh wounds looked only a day old. "This just happened yesterday," he said, walking around the scene. "Elizabeth was right here, and a woman was with her. Probably a friend," he continued, walking around some more, past the path of the three dead bodies towards the other room, where a very graphic display of blood and limbs decorated the walls and furniture. "The British soldiers brought someone else over here, most likely a man, judging from the very gruesome scene he left behind. I know that neither Elizabeth nor her friends would make a scene like this. Apparently, this 'hero' is very good at killing people. He managed to best the soldiers in the room with nothing but a blade against their rifles. It's odd how one man here is only dressed in his undergarments."

Bootstrap watched his son investigate the scene further as they retreated back to the main hall. One man had a bag over his head, pieces of clothing rested on the wood floors, along with a dead captain and another soldier shot in the back.

"This man had a bag over his head. Scraps of clothing and a pair of trousers that looked like they were taken off are very odd. The skilled 'hero' escaped the room dressed as one of the guards, explaining the soldier only in his undergarments, apparently dressing up this one with the bag over his head in his own clothing. The pistol next to the captain indicates that he mistakenly shot his own man in the head," Will continued to canvass the scene. "The 'hero' then tossed his rifle aside. He stepped this way as the captain turned around to face Elizabeth," he said.

He saw the puncture in the captain's neck. "The 'hero' had a small blade that he used to kill the captain with," and also noticed the cut-up scraps of cloth and the soldier who was shot in the back. "And released Elizabeth and her woman accomplice from their cloth ties. This soldier confronted them coming from that way, from the bathroom, and was shot in the back…but by who? Someone else. Someone managed to stay outside the whole event and killed the last person."

Will then followed the path upstairs because of the mud spots along the steps. "They came up here, and went into the bathroom," he said, then looked at the uncovered boards on the floor. "Apparently, Elizabeth reached for the chest, and they escaped…back down."

Making his way down and following the path outside, he found the path in the tall grass and followed it. "They walked down this way. Down to the cove," he explained. He and Bootstrap walked down the pathway towards the cove and continued with the footprints. "They apparently were down here…and here is where the footprints stop…" Will sighed as he tried to figure out where they went.

"Will," Bootstrap said. "You know what happened next?"

Will looked at his father. "What?"

Bootstrap noticed the sand having a dented path as water washed up onto the shore. "A ship was here. Not just any ship, Will. It was the Pearl."

"The _Pearl_?" Will repeated. "So, I guess she's been doing some adventuring on her own. Hopefully our son is alright."

They traveled back up the hill towards the house, but noticed that troops were outside the house. Bootstrap pushed Will into the tall grass far aside the house as they watched what was happening. They laid on their stomachs and watched carefully.

"Damn it!!!" a voice yelled from the house. "I want that damned assassin found right away. I thought we had him!"

A soldier rushed up to the aggravated man who stepped outside. "Guv'na! They headed back out to sea, sir!"

"I want that chest!" the man, or governor, yelled. "But…this could be a sign that I should make a deal with Mrs. Turner instead. I have her son…yes. She will return soon for him, but we should still find her. Got to stay civilized," he spoke to himself.

Will and his father watched intently. "He has my son," Will whispered.

"We should get him back," Bootstrap suggested. "That man doesn't look too stable."

"_Then_ look for Elizabeth," Will continued.

**Chapter 9 will be posted soon. Hope you guys liked Chap 8!**


	9. Dropping the Ball

**Thanks for the reviews so far, guys. I'm back with chapter 9, so enjoy.**

**Chapter 9: Dropping the Ball**

The Black Pearl was close to Tortuga now, but Tsau had a different feeling of where they were headed. His gut told him that something was not right about going here, and they could be headed into the wrong direction. He walked towards Elizabeth, who was leaning against the shipside.

"May I see that compass?" he asked.

She handed it to him. "Yeah, sure."  
He studied the compass for a moment, and was confused when Jack tossed it to her, because it didn't work. "It doesn't work. It's not pointing north."

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, Tsau. What do you most desire in this world right now?"

Tsau watched the compass for a moment, and the needle straightened out, pointing towards Elizabeth. An odd moment ensued between them, then Elizabeth moved to the side to see if the needle followed her. When she moved, the needle stayed straight. Her eyes followed the path of the needle down the shipside, and saw Zi resting her chin on her hand, staring out to sea. She looked back at Tsau, who immediately shut the compass and tossed it to her.

"This stupid compass is broken," he said hastily.

Elizabeth caught the compass and gave him a smile. "I'm sure," she said, looking back down at the compass. It didn't point towards Tortuga anymore, but the direction of Port Royal. "Jack," she said towards the helm.

Jack looked at her from the helm and gestured a nod, acknowledging her comment. "Aye?"

"It's not pointing towards Tortuga anymore," she said.

Jack nodded slowly. "To Port Royal, then, Hector."

"What?" Elizabeth said. That was exactly where the needle was pointed. "How did you know that?"

"Your husband was here earlier," Tsau said, leaning on the shipside. "I think he's looking for you."

"That's right," Jack replied. "That's why I saw on the compass that the Dutchman was at Tortuga. I guess they just passed through."

"I guess he's already in this world," Tsau stated. "That's why it pointed there."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, but why would he be here? I wondered about that ever since we set off towards Tortuga."

"Something bad has happened if he's here," Tsau answered. "Maybe he had a run-in with the black cloud."

Barbossa growled. "Make up ye mind already! To Port Royal or not?!"

They sailed off once again to the sounds of Jack and Barbossa arguing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will and Bootstrap waited for hours before rescuing young Bill from the Governor's house. All they did so far was gather information, trying to blend in with the locals as much as possible. The rest of the Dutchman crew stayed behind as they were set to attend the Governor's ball tonight at his home. The Governor's Ball would only be held tonight and only tonight, and Will thanked his perfect timing for that. Most likely, Bill would be kept there, in the governor's home. Dressing up in elegance, Will tightened his bowtie, as did his father.

"I hate parties," Bootstrap said. "I haven't worn a suit in such a long time."

"Don't be so discouraged," his son replied. "You look nice in that suit."

Bootstrap rolled his eyes and they continued walking as the sun began to set. The ball should be starting by now. They reached the door, where a line was created to gather names. Many people, mostly rich, came to the party dressed in their best attires.

"We should be hasty, Will," his father said. "I don't know how long you can last on land."

"I thought you said it was okay if the Dutchman isn't safe," Will replied.

His father shook his head. "I can't remember quite right, Will, but I don't want to take any chances. When there was a previous disturbance, Davy Jones only stood on land for one hour, before everything returned to normal."

"I'll take my chances, then," Will replied.

When Will and his father reached the front, they were approached by a man dressed in similar attire. "Names, please."

Will paused for a minute, because he didn't take the time to come up with a name.

"Names, sir. We can't hold up the line any longer."

Will looked at his father, then back. "Umm…James…"

The man wrote the name down. "James…"

Will thought for another moment. "…Blonde."

"What was that? Bond?" the man asked, writing down.

"Yes," Will replied in a quick manner. "James Bond."

"And you?" the man asked his father.

Bootstrap stepped forward. "Jacob Smith."

"Thank you, and enjoy the ball," the man said. The two walked inside the governor's home, and noted on the size of the house, seeing that most of the party is being held in the great hall. Will, looking very elegant and suave in his suit, counted the patrols in the house. The security wasn't that high, probably because most of them are out to search for Elizabeth and that 'hero' he described. He and his father split up for a moment, trying to figure out how to break in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, a ball is being held?" Elizabeth asked the shop owner. The compass brought them back to Port Royal, but instead of finding the Dutchman, Elizabeth decided that she would rescue her son first. Maybe that was why the compass was pointing here.

"Yes, that's right, Mrs. Turner," the owner said. "I saw them take your son to Governor Blackwell's mansion. Don't worry, I won't let the guards know that you're here."

"Thank you," she responded.

After she spoke with the shop owner, she turned to Jack and explained to him of the ball that is being held right now. Jack thought for a long moment before replying to her.

"Sorry," Jack replied. "Jack Sparrow doesn't do parties…without rum."

"We're only going in to rescue Bill," Elizabeth said. "Look, if you're not comfortable about going in with formal attire, you can sneak in with Tsau. Where is he, by the way?"

Zi looked around. "Oh, he's at the church."

Tsau sat inside the church, with his eyes closed and his hands held in prayer, with his spirit in deep, composed, yet threatening calamity. The deaths he brought, the terror he left behind, and the scars that were left over damaged his mind. Each day passes, and all he ever hoped for was for atonement…forgiveness. Yes, even a heartless one like Tsau dove himself into hope. With the Necromortalis after him, he was uneasy, and felt his end drawing closer by the day. His heart and spirit were tense, but his body refused to collapse and remained calm. The fear that hid behind his eyes was cleverly concealed from the others. In the silence of the church, he began to pray.

"Lead me, oh heavenly father," he started. "…in the path of right…for I walk alone…and stumble in the dark. Show me the light and I shall follow. Help me find some meaning in my existence. Allow me to find peace in my own heart…and save me… from my enemies."

Elizabeth, Jack, and Zi walked into the church, noting the dim light that spilled in, and waited for Tsau to finish praying. His words were faint, and they could not make out what he was trying to say.

"Let my blade be sharp…my focus serene…and my technique flawless. Help me summon the strength to lift my blade once again…and carry out this one last task…because I fear that my own act of morality…will be the cause of my demise. I am far from perfect, lord, but I try my best. My blade only sheds the blood of sinners, and never have I once shed the blood of the innocent. Save me, oh heavenly father…and I shall walk the path of virtue and justice. Amen."

Tsau stood up and slowly walked away, seeming to ignore the rest of the crew as he walked out the door. They followed him, and noticed that his presence was different than when they were back on the ship. He looked a bit more troubled and in thought.

"Something wrong?" Elizabeth asked him.

He looked ahead and shook his head. "No," he said in a somewhat distracted tone. It looked like he was still in a state of thought. "So what's the plan?"

"There's a ball tonight, and I think you should sneak in while me and Zi work our way through the front," Elizabeth said. "We'll be in disguise and find a different path in."

"And Jack?" Tsau asked.

Jack stepped in front of him. "I'll be teaming up with you, mate."

"Eh," Tsau grunted, shaking his head. "You'll only drag me down."

"You underestimate Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack replied. "The _Immortal_ Captain Jack Sparrow."

Tsau sighed. "Fine, but if you lag, you're on your own. When do we start?"

"We've got an hour before the doors close," Zi answered.

"Give me 20 and I'll be ready," Tsau replied, heading back to the ship.

After Jack followed, Elizabeth walked back with Zi, who remained quite a distance from the others ahead.

"So, Tsau said he knew you from his childhood," she said. "Is it true?"

Zi nodded. "Yeah. We went to the same scholar academy together when we were 12. I ran into him in the world library and we talked. He was a cute kid back then, really thoughtful, very intelligent. I never thought that he'd settle for…this."

"I first met Will when we were 12, too," Elizabeth said. "Odd coincidence, huh?"

Zi shrugged. "Don't know. Anyway, I had a crush on him. But one day, his parents were murdered."

"Murdered?" Elizabeth said.

"Yes. After that, I never saw him again. He said a quick goodbye, then left to go somewhere else," Zi explained. "And now he's changed. He's a killer, an assassin, and as we saw, a Christian. His family and his parents, like mine, were Confucians. Whatever. I don't really care for his religious beliefs, but I'm a bit worried about him. He just had this…look in his eyes that seems disturbed."

"I hope nothing goes wrong, then," Elizabeth said. "We have to get Bill back."

After 20 minutes, the sun began to completely set as the four headed to Blackwell's mansion. Elizabeth and Zi dressed in their formal attires for the ball. Tsau and Jack broke off from the group, and headed out to find a way around back, while Elizabeth and Zi went through the front.

"Names, please?" the man at the door said.

"Elizab—" she started, but Zi elbowed her in the side for saying her real name.

The man looked up. "Elizabeth? Last name, please."

Elizabeth sighed. "…Knightley. Elizabeth Knightley."

"Thank you, and your friend?"

Zi straightened her formal attire. "Mei Ling."

"Mei Ling, thank you. Enjoy the party," the man said.

They both walked inside and split off to find a way upstairs to where Bill was probably being kept.

Back outside, however, Tsau and Jack were just heading off to the side to find a way in the back. As the sun completely set, darkness began to come in, and Tsau was more than ready to sneak inside. They continued walking, but were stopped by a guard at the gate that entered the backyard.

"Shouldn't you gentlemen be going in through the front?" he asked.

"I'm here to see Blackwell on private matters," Jack responded.

The guard set down his rifle. "Private?"

"Aye," Jack replied. "A matter so honorable and private, that the most honest of men cannot honestly speak privately of it in the most private place this dishonest world has to offer…in a most honoring sense of privacy, of course."

"What?" the guard replied. An odd moment passed between them before he began talking again. "What are your names?"

"Smithy," Jack responded. "Why?"

The guard nodded. "Smithy. I'll keep an eye on you, because I won't let you in this mansion, or the front at that. And you? What's your name?" he asked Tsau.

Tsau approached the gate to the point where he was close to the guard. "Names are for friends…so I don't need one," he said in a deep, insensitive voice.

He grabbed the guard by his military uniform and swiftly pulled him towards the gate, knocking him out and opening the gate at the same time.

"Nice line, mate," Jack replied.

Tsau quickly hid the body of the unconscious guard and snuck past the gate. "Let's go."

Back inside the mansion, Elizabeth tried looking for a way in, walking around, trying not to look conspicuous. She stood over the table that had appetizers on it and watched the guards patrol.

"I heard the Devil's Eggs are quite popular around here," a voice said behind her. Before she decided to turn around, he cut her off. "Don't. We can't be seen here. Let's meet at the hallway near the bathroom."

She knew whose voice it was and was filled with happiness at that moment. Elizabeth followed his orders and quickly went to the hallway. When she met up with him she kissed him.

"Will," she said.

Will smiled. "I didn't expect you to be here."

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I went to the house and investigated the scene," Will said. "So, I guess you're here to rescue our son, too then?"

She held him tightly. "I was originally looking for you."

He had a smile on his face. "Now I'm here, Elizabeth. But we have little time. I have to get back to the Dutchman quickly after we get him back. I don't know how much longer I'll last on land."

Elizabeth nodded. "Right. Is anyone else with you?"

"My father," Will said. "He found a way upstairs, and I'm going right now."

She nodded. "Let's go find my friend first."

They walked to where Zi was at and explained the situation. She nodded and decided to follow them.

"It's good to finally meet you, Will," Zi said.

Will smiled. "Pleasure's all mine."

Outside, Tsau and Jack managed to scale past the first floor and wound up on the second level. They snuck past the rest of the guards and ended up in the hallway.

"Now," Tsau whispered, crouching in the shadows. "Which door?"

Jack looked around. "Why don't we split, mate?"

"You'll get lost," he replied.

"Sure," Jack said. "That just means you'll have to come find me if I find the kid first."

Tsau nodded. "Fine by me."

The two split off and Jack went past a few more rooms while Tsau went another direction. Jack's real business here wasn't to look for young Bill, however. He managed to sneak into the master bedroom, and walked into the office portion where Blackwell did his work. Walking further, he sat down in the chair in front of the desk, waiting.

"Who's there?" Blackwell said from the bathroom. He walked out in his undershirt and saw Jack. "Oh, Mr. Sparrow. Nice of you to join me."

Jack smiled. "It's been awhile, Augustus."

"You must've been that 'Mr. Smith' that I told Elizabeth of a few weeks ago, right?" Blackwell asked, sitting in his desk chair.

"Smithy," Jack corrected him.

"So, is Mrs. Turner with you, then?" Blackwell asked, shuffling through the papers on his desk.

Jack shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? She didn't travel with me."

Blackwell sighed and smiled. "So clever you think you are, Jack. What business do you bring?"

"I understand your plan," Jack said, reaching for the fruits on the desk. "Angel of Death and all that…really brilliant."

"And who told you that?" Blackwell asked, sitting back in his desk.

Jack munched on the apple he held. "It doesn't matter who told me, mate. It only matters that I know of it."

"What do you want?"

"After you seize control of the Nec…Nec…whatever it is, what do you plan to do with the Dutchman?" Jack said.

Blackwell tossed a few more papers before looking back up at Jack. "What do _you_ want with it?"

"I want that ship," Jack replied. "I'm starting a fleet."

The governor chuckled in amusement. "Jack…you should know that Caribbean piracy is coming to an end, don't you? The new world is coming, Mr. Sparrow. You should start seeing the bigger picture here. Colonies are expanding, new laws, a new government establishing. Pretty soon, the colonies will become a country, Jack, and the newfound country will thrive in the name of her majesty's kingdom. The East India Trading Company will become the definite ruler of all trade routes, and even if you had the Pearl and the Dutchman combined…you cannot stop the Necromortalis once I take control of it…so what's the point?"

"I can get you the chest, mate," Jack responded. "If we have an accord."

Blackwell stood up and sighed, nodding. "If you can do that, I'll spare the Dutchman for you…and I'll wipe your criminal records on the side. My treat."

"Thank you," Jack said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my ship to get back to."

"Just don't drop the ball, Sparrow," Blackwell said.

Meanwhile, Tsau snuck around more rooms, and came across an office with a person whom he knew too well. He stood by the open door and listened intently, sitting against the wall.

"What would you like for me to do with these strategic maps, sir?" a British man asked.

The Chinese general looked over with his glasses, then looked down at the desk at his own papers. "Show them to Blackwell, and tell him I can only be in town for another few days, so we must plan the strategy quickly."

"Yes, General Zhao," the man said, walking away. As he walked out the door, Tsau decided that it was too risky to kill Zhao right now. Tsau decided to continue looking for Bill.

He crept past more doors before he stumbled across an elevator…but to where? It was mechanically fueled by heat which moved the gears, similar to a blacksmith's shop but without the mule to pull them. It was quite an amazing thing for this day and age to have a machine powered by a prime fuel energy source, but this wasn't the first time Tsau has seen one. Ignoring the elevator for now, he pressed forward into a miscellaneous room, which surprisingly held Bill in it. Bill was sleeping on the bed soundly, but it drew negative thoughts to Tsau as he only pictured the worst. With General Zhao here, Blackwell must be into the opium trade towards the east, and what if they tampered with Bill? Shaking his thoughts away, he began to enter the room, but was met with a close slash to the face from a cutlass that came from a blindside of the room. He dodged it and rolled under the slash, drawing his dagger and swiftly putting it up to his assailant's neck.

"Will, no! That's Tsau, the man I told you about," Elizabeth said.

Will, who sheathed his cutlass, nodded and held out his hand. "You must be Tsau Nu Tua. I'm Will Turner."

Tsau put away his dagger and shook his hand quickly. "No time, Mr. Turner. We have to get your son out of here."

"Where's Jack?" Zi asked him.

"He's lost," Tsau replied. "He'll find his way back."

Right after Tsau said that, Jack opened the door to the room. "Oh, William! Good to see you, lad!"

Will smiled. "Jack Sparrow. You haven't changed."

As they were talking, Tsau was looking for a way out. Jack shook his head with a smirk. "The only thing that has ever changed about me is that I am immortal."

"I heard," Will said.

Tsau cut the drapes and looked outside. He could see the unconscious guard from here, which meant that the path was clear. "Who's going to take the kid?"

Everyone looked at each other around the room for a long moment. An odd feeling came upon everyone because they couldn't make a decision.

"I don't think anyone here possesses strength and acrobatic skill," Jack said in a conspicuous tone. "Except…"

Tsau sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll do it. Make sure you keep an eye on the trail, and keep the path clear of guards. Some parents _you two_ are."

Will looked at Elizabeth. "Once we head out, I'll have to go back to the Dutchman with my father. Don't worry, I'll be close."

Elizabeth nodded and kissed him. "Okay, Will."

Tsau took the sleeping Bill and carried him on his shoulders. "Hang tight, kid."

As soon as he stepped out the window, everyone else left downstairs.

**Hope you liked it, and if you have any questions or confusions, don't be afraid to ask me. Sometimes I might miss adding something in, so it'll help.**


	10. Decipher the Curse

**It's been a few days, but I managed to finish Chapter 10. Hope you like it.**

**Chapter 10: Decipher the Curse**

The view was faint as Tsau stumbled down the hallways of the prison. Uneasily, he leaned on the walls as he could not balance from walking. After a moment of breathing, he stabilized and pressed forward. He ran his hands across the bars as he continued down, with the dark, cold hallways sending him chills down his spine. Following down the hall, he observed the trail of blood left behind. Newly shed blood, it was, and it was all over the ground, the walls, and the ceiling. Almost slipping on some, Tsau managed to regain his balance and continue down the hall. Echoing shrieks of men being mutilated could be heard from the blood path. Tsau did not have any weapons, for he was only dressed in his inmate outfit.

He snuck ahead until the screams were close, and entered the room where the screams came from. Many dead inmates and security officers were lying on the floor, lifeless, and the whole room was a bloodbath. In the center stood a man Tsau was all too familiar with. He was dressed in a white coat with the hood pulled over his head. The weapons, gadgets, and even same movements were identical to that of Tsau's. The hooded man sunk his wristblade into one last victim, who twitched and went into shock from such a blow. Tsau drew closer to the man, and picked up a scimitar from one of the fallen guards. In his stealthiest maneuver, he leaped into the air to strike upon the imposter that looked like him. However, the hooded man quickly turned around, and in an even more finesse fashion, shoved the wristblade into Tsau's neck. Landing on top of Tsau, the hooded man drew closer to his face, and Tsau, whose neck was spilling with blood from trying to breathe, looked into his own reflection. The imposter had bested him…not because he was an imposter, but because he _was_ him.

"Pathetic," the hooded imposter said. "How could you ever defeat me if you could not defeat yourself?"

Tsau, with his life fading away, watched the imposter one more time as the reflection started to decay into an undead figure. The face lost its eyes, and its jaw fell loose. The eyes became completely black, and the face began to deform, into only bones. The final product was undead being that roared into Tsau's face, and gripped around his throat…then snapped his neck and windpipe.

"Death is the only way out," the Necromortalis said in a rough voice. "Your soul is mine."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau was almost at a yell when he woke up, nearly waking the others with him. Sweating and breathing heavily, he quickly slipped on his pants and quietly snuck upstairs to the deck, where they were sailing towards the Dutchman. Will said that his ship would be in a cove quite a ways from here, so that is where they were headed. Tsau looked up at the helm, where Captain Jack was steering. Still shaking from his semi-real nightmare, he sat at the steps and shut his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts. Yet again, another one he's had. Tsau let his thoughts clear before getting back into reality. The only other person up was Elizabeth, who wouldn't dare to sleep until she saw her father again.

"It's not good to let those bother you, mate," Jack said, while up at the helm. "I get quite a few of them myself."

Tsau looked forward out into the sea. "Not the way I have them. You've never killed at will before, Jack."

"Aye," Jack replied. "I'll never know what it feels like, but I can understand from watching _you_. It's quite disturbing, is it not?"

The Falcon looked down. "I'd die to rid myself of these nightmares."

"So…" Jack said, trying to change the subject. "Where were you before you joined Hassan? I know that even some of the best assassins have been caught before."

"Funny that you say that," Tsau said. "I guess I should have clarified, then. I was never caught as a _Falcon_, as an _assassin_. I was caught a few times as a thief. Before that I was locked up in a prison."

Jack shrugged. "It's not so bad. I've been there before."

"Not this one," Tsau said. "I was held up in the Arabian Desert for thievery, and they decided to put me into one of their new, innovative prisons. You've never seen one like this before, Jack. Trust me. It was maximum security, which was only for the worst of criminals. I was only 19 back then, having my share of idiotic antics. It was so organized, so revolutionary, divided into sectors that held the 10,000 prisoners. They named each sector after the alphabet. I was in D Sector, the most dangerous of all criminals, and the only place that is flooded with murderers and assailants. D for Death. Everyday, just having air to breathe was fine for me. They were even nice enough to let us into one of the outside courtyards every other day. However, on those courtyards, lines are divided, and each faction hung in a given area. Prison has its own rules, Jack. If you stepped on the wrong turf, you were either beaten badly, or killed by the gang there. Sometimes, the guards would watch for their entertainment."

"How long were you there?" Jack asked.

"Only half a year. Soon, the prison was overrun by bandits. Apparently society isn't ready to settle for something this big and organized. And that is where I met Muhammad Hassan, the leader of the Order of the White Falcon. He claimed to know my father, and that he had been through many things with him. Most of my survival techniques while incarcerated were self-taught, but Hassan really taught me the tools of the trade. He taught me how to assassinate, how to do this, how to do that. I was often beaten by the guards because I killed a lot of inmates that thought they could beat me. Only took 6 months, and I became the most feared person in prison," Tsau narrated, with Jack listening attentively. "When the bandits overran the prison, I took advantage, and murdered the guards and the inmates I really hated. The anger, the frustration that built up inside of me…I had to let it go. It was until then that Hassan decided to get me fully involved with his Order. I joined him as soon as we escaped. There were few good memories there."

Jack continued steering. "That was a lot more than I expected."

"You wanted to know," Tsau replied. "I gave you an answer."

"That was thorough," Elizabeth said, turning away from her view of the sea.

Tsau stood up. "I don't break down into many soliloquies, however. Take my words as you want them."

As the Pearl sailed for another few good minutes, the Dutchman was in sight. Excitedly, Elizabeth ran all the way up to the front of the ship, because it meant that she was that much closer to Will. Tsau looked up and sighed, ready to board the ship and investigate. The two ships were side-by-side in the darkness of the night, and wooden planks dropped from the Pearl to the Dutchman. Will leaped down from the helm and sped his way across the planks to kiss Elizabeth once again. Tsau walked over to the Dutchman and began investigating.

"You okay?" Will asked.

Elizabeth nodded with a sweet smile. "Yes, Will. I can take care of myself."

"No, I think _he's _been doing it for you," Will said, signaling to Tsau. "That man must be really good if he could carry our son on his back and leap down a mansion."

Keeping her smile, Elizabeth cuddled in his arms. "I missed you. It has only been a few hours."

"So did I," Will said. "Do you have the chest with you?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. With Tsau's help, of course."

"I owe him quite a bit, then," Will replied. "Where's our son?"

"Sound asleep," Elizabeth said.

Will nodded. "Wouldn't want to wake him up, then."

Jack stepped down from the helm. "Maybe we should go break that curse of yours, eh, William?"

They crossed to the Dutchman and joined with Tsau. Bootstrap was apparently chatting with him, but when they got across, the conversation stopped.

"So, Tsau," Will said. "I think that's your name…how do you break down the curse?"

Tsau, slightly chilly in his sleeveless undershirt, walked towards the captain's quarters. "I'd start with the captain's quarters. Where else would the clues be hidden?"

Running his hands through his buzzed hair, Tsau looked hard in the captain's cabin. It was a lot more humane than when Davy Jones occupied it, and it had a more normal look for a captain's quarters. Everyone canvassed the cabin, but found nothing. It was a futile search. Will and Elizabeth looked as hard as Tsau did, but Jack kind of stood back and watched.

"There must be a reason why Hassan sent you with us, mate," Jack said to Tsau. "If you can't find it, then why did he send you?"

Tsau then looked at Will. "You've been here 8 years, and you haven't even seen anything?"

Will shook his head. "I know this ship better than I know my home."

Nodding, Tsau noticed the musical equipment at the end of the quarters. "Is that an organ?"

Will shook his head. "When Davy Jones left, it became a piano. Why?"

"There's got to be a reason that it is here, right?" Jack asked Tsau. "Do you know anything, then?"

Tsau stepped towards the piano and sat down. He crackled his fingers and rubbed his hands together. After a quick warm up on the piano, he began to play a song. It was haunting, and it brought slight chills to the people in the room. Although it was haunting, the song was quite melodious. Tsau thought about the words in his head.

_The Angel of Death thirsts for you_

_Can you survive such sweet pain?_

_Can you resist the temptation?_

_Such sweet dreams, can only plague one's own fate_

_Dragging you away while you sleep_

_Before you understand life's any meaning_

_The Angel of Death brings you an offer_

_How long can you carry his black cross?_

_No remorse, no feeling_

_All strategy, but no dealing_

_All philosophy, but no healing_

_He drags you away while you sleep…_

After Tsau played the melody of the Angel of Death, the piano began to rumble, and as it did, a paper-length note fell from the bottom of it. Tsau picked it up and went over to the others.

"Nice song, mate," Jack said.

"Eh," Tsau grunted. He looked at the paper, then handed it to Elizabeth and Will, who began reading what it said.

"Date unknown, year unknown," Will said.

"_Dear Captain,  
It is with great acknowledgement that you have found this letter from the piano. I assume you must know the Melody of Death, then. Anyway, if you are reading this, then you must already know that the curse can be lifted. The Necromortalis is merciless, captain. If you can trap it into the chest that contains your heart, then you will be free. But how, you say? The answer lies in the Dagger of Black Death. The Dagger will free you. Stab the Necromortalis with the dagger after it is cleansed by its liberator, which will then trap the Necromortalis into the dagger. After, your scar will open, and you are free to replace your heart. Place the Dagger of Black Death into the chest and await the Angel of Death. Good luck._

_ Vaya con Dios,  
Fifth Servant of the First Generation"_

"Fifth servant?" Jack asked Will after he read the letter. "What does that mean?"

Tsau nodded. "The Servant serves under the Angel of Death. He carries the burden of freeing the Dutchman, and restoring the balance. Davy Jones knew about this, but I guess his greed and desire for immortality plagued him. He probably forgot all about it after Calypso left him."

Will handed the letter to Jack. "So, Tsau. How many servants were there?"

"As the letter reads, five for each generation," Tsau said. "The Necromortalis has killed many. This is the Third Generation, I believe."

"And the Dagger of Black Death?" Will asked, snatching the paper away from Jack. "Where is it?"

Tsau pulled the dagger from its sheath on his waist. "It's right here."

"Good," Will nodded, reading the letter. "What does it mean to cleanse it by its liberator?"

"I've yet to figure that out," Tsau replied, sheathing his dagger. "This is all I know so far, and know _you_ know it."

A bang on the door startled Elizabeth, who stood right next to it.

"Cap'n!" Bootstrap shouted from the other side.

Will opened the door, and met with his father. "What is it?"

"We've got company," his dad replied.

From amidst the thick fog out in the sea, a horn sounded off from an enemy ship, a sound Tsau had not heard in a long time. He exhaled a breath and began walking out into the foggy, dim, grey light of morning.

"So, General Zhao has caught up with us, I presume," he started. "Get ready for some intense negotiation."

Tsau sped out the door and back to the Pearl before everyone else to ready his weapons. The minor fleet of large Chinese ships surrounded the Dutchman and Pearl, and they had nowhere to go.

**I've been a little busy the past few days, and I can predict that I'll be busy in the future. I'll try to get 11 done soon. Thanks for the reviews!**


	11. The Onus of Liberation

**Here is Chapter 11, guys. I know you would all expect a fight, but I didn't put one in this chapter…so sorry about that.**

**Chapter 11: The Onus of Liberation**

The planks from the main vessel dropped onto the Pearl as the other vessel was on the other end, dropping onto the Dutchman. Tsau stood on the Pearl as the man from the main vessel stepped out from the captain's quarters of his ship and set his eyes on the crew. Zi stood behind him.

"Who is that, Tsau?" Zi asked.

"Stay back, Izzi," Tsau replied sharply, keeping his eyes tight on the boat.

The man wore Chinese battle armor and removed his helmet, exposing his face. His head had bad scars, and he had a queue (Chinese ponytail) that was braided up at the back of his head, with his face sporting a thick goatee and a nice chinstrap beard. The man has certainly seen his share of experience on the battlefield. General Zhao held his helmet and walked towards Tsau.

The clanks in his steps were absolutely clear to hear in the soundless air. "So, I guess Blackwell was right, then," he started off in his heavily accented voice. "I guess this was an opportunity you took advantage of."

"What do you want, Zhao?" Tsau said, readying his left hand for the wristblade. He was more than ready to fight against his armies. "Why are you here?"

Elizabeth, Will, Bootstrap, and Jack stood watching from the Dutchman, while Barbossa leaned against the railing at the helm with Jack the Monkey rested on his shoulder.

Zhao was straight to the point and tossed his helmet to one of the guards. "I'm working with Blackwell so that I can free our people. Tzu Tang Chuan has ravaged the Empire of China…and I intend to free the people of their misery."

"Blackwell is a snake…figures why he'd work with you," Tsau replied coolly. "Two minds think alike."

Zhao paced around the Black Pearl as everyone else watched the exchange of statements between him and Tsau. "Do not call me a bad man, Tsau. My intentions are for the best, and you have no say in this. You drifted away from my goals long ago."

"The worst occurrences are the results of good intentions," Tsau said in rebuttal. "And I was never a part of you goals. Now, what do you want?"

"I'm going to need that chest," Zhao said straightforwardly. Behind him stood his small group of supersoldiers, each with a distinctive look.

Tsau looked away out into the sea, then back at his former colleague. "You don't have to lay your services with Blackwell, Zhao. Don't you think you're little army is strong enough to fight Chuan?"

"Tsau, my boy," Zhao said. "When the Necromortalis is ours…I will destroy Tzu Tang Chuan for being such a horrid emperor…the worst dynasty in China. I will liberate the peoples, and in order to do so, some people have to die. Do not give me any of your views on the empire, because you left China long ago. Your land will no longer accept you, Tsau. The onus of cleansing is mine, and I intend to kill the emperor, and destroy his city. Blackwell can have his battles with pirates, but I will destroy the emperor, for his secret society of spies and supporters are antagonistic to my cause. The blood of men, women, and their children will be shed to cleanse the dirty palette that China is. I will create a nation of society, equality, and commute. If you are not with my cause, then you are against it…but your reactions clearly state whose side you are on."

"That's right," Tsau said. Everyone from Elizabeth, Will, Jack, and Zi watched the discussion intently, clearly hearing the words.

Zhao crossed his arms. "You and I are not so different, Tsau. Both of our parents were taken from us. We faced the most horrible onslaughts that the emperor threw to us, and we survived. Ravaged by our own people; hated by the government. We were poor young men back then…puppets of a higher agenda. The battles we fought together, the realization of our mortality, the diamonds we have become under intense pressure...we are not so different. But you didn't care, Tsau. You wanted freedom for yourself; I wanted to liberate our peoples. I won't let Chuan make any more tools out of men for his government. I will liberate the country by any means necessary. My cause is noble."

"Distributing opium isn't too noble, general," Tsau replied. "And I am nothing like you. I will never become you."

"Oh, but you have become much worse," Zhao said, catching Tsau's glance. "I've heard about the evils you have done. Murder without a cause. You have not changed a bit then…still just the mindless pawn, being told what to do by people of higher status. You still have much growth to do. You are still wandering in life, without a certain calling…without cause. Mindlessly working. A man of your ability is rare, Tsau, but I would much rather have a soldier who knows what he is fighting for. You are just one of those who run from what they fear the most…most of all, you have killed others with no conscience. People like you will never understand what to fight for. You were born an empty shell with no soul…no emotion to carry into battle. No reason. Now…where is that damned chest?"

Letting those words sink in, Tsau looked over to Elizabeth and Will, and nodded in a slight sense. Will went into the captain's quarters of his ship. Jack, who stood beside them, rolled his eyes. Getting the chest directly to Blackwell might be harder than he thought, because if this general takes the chest to him first, then Blackwell won't waste time to destroy the Dutchman, not to mention the Pearl.

"Take it if you like…but in the end…the Necromortalis _will_ die. I won't let you use this opportunity to fuel your own agenda."

Will returned with the chest and handed it to one of Zhao's men. "Oh, Tsau. I think you have your _own_ agenda that you are trying to fulfill."

"I've got my reasons," Tsau said, repeating the same words when he was asked about his own goals. "But they don't include unnecessary bloodshed."

"After the cleansing," Zhao said, getting back on his ship. "_My_ counts of bloodshed will have reason. If you are coming back for the chest, you'll have to go through my best soldiers. The Three Deaths. They have their own gifts, Tsau. Can you survive my special group of soldiers?"

Tsau cracked his knuckles. "When I decide to take the chest back, that is."

"Each Death is potent," Zhao replied. "In three days, if you are still in the area, I will send them after you."

Zhao's men removed the planks and the ships slowly sailed away. With the chest in their hands again, Tsau wasn't too worried about it. Elizabeth crossed the planks over to the Pearl.

"So now they have the chest again," she said in slight anger. "What is our plan now?!"

"Calm down," Tsau responded. "They'll need the dagger, but be glad he didn't take your son. They think they have everything, but we're still in the game, so don't worry about it."

Elizabeth took a moment to draw breaths.

"What do we do now, Tsau?" Zi asked from behind.

Tsau thought for a moment. "I suggest we head back to Aswad Mohit. There are some unanswered questions there that I have."

Jack strolled back to his ship and stood in front of them. "How about you and the others go and find your answers, and I will go after the chest…fair enough?"

"Are you suggesting we split up?" Elizabeth asked.

Tsau sighed, then shrugged. "We split up from here on out. After a week or two, I'll be at Port Royal, waiting for the Pearl. The Dutchman will need to go to the Gulf."

Will, who was on his ship, rested his foot onto the plank. "So shall we head out?"

Tsau went down to his room to pack his things, and so did Elizabeth and Zi, who looked at her captain, Jack Sparrow one more time before heading over.

"Be careful, captain," Zi said.

Jack smiled. "Don't worry, love."

After Elizabeth woke her son up to head over to the Dutchman, Tsau held his knapsack and looked at Jack, and noticed something different about the captain.

"You're a little enthusiastic, aren't you?" Tsau stated, catching Jack a bit off guard.

Jack looked around conspicuously. "Why are you _not_ enthusiastic?"

Tsau had a slight bewilderment. "Huh?"

"What?" Jack replied hastily.

"Wait…what are you…"

Jack then cut him off. "Don't you have to get going?"

"I'm going," Tsau replied irritably.

Tsau then unsheathed the Dagger of Black Death from his waist and held it in front of Jack, who kept his focus on the blade. It was as if Tsau was about to hand it over to the captain, but after awhile, he sheathed it back.

"I think the dagger will be safer with me," Tsau then replied, keeping a straight face. Jack kept a smile.

After the quick moment, Tsau walked over the plank, and onto the Dutchman, with Jack in a slight irritation because of what had just happened. Tsau seemed to see the dishonesty in Jack's eyes and body language, and Jack was quite surprised, because usually he successfully deceives new people his first try. The assassin is different, Jack thought.

"What just happened there?" Barbossa asked.

Jack leaned against the mast support. "The assassin is smart."

"Arr, I told ye," Barbossa said. "He be a clever one. Hassan is cursing us."

Jack watched closely as they removed the planks from the Pearl. "I just need that dagger, mate. No one can outthink Cap'n Jack Sparrow."

The two ships parted with Will and Jack at each helm waving to each other.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again on the way to Aswad Mohit, the Flying Dutchman was slightly calm. Elizabeth and her son stood up at the helm with Will as he got to know his child. They were all happy together, enjoying the midday as a family. Tsau was up at the helm, too, standing next to the shipside, looking out to sea. After another few moments passed, he decided to walk down to the cabins, but instead met up with Zi while walking past the Turner family.

"You knew that general?" she asked him, catching the eyes of both Elizabeth and William.

Tsau raised an eyebrow and looked down. He wondered how he always seemed to get himself into the situations where everyone was ready to listen to him say something personal.

"Yeah, I knew Zhao," Tsau replied, uncovering his hood. "I met him shortly after leaving Dhou Sher."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "What's Dhou Sher?"

"Hometown," Zi answered. "In Miao Chinese, it means 'Rising Sky' or 'Rising Heavens.'"

Will held his son's hand. "How did you meet him?"

"After I left home, I wandered about in different lands before coming across a poster asking for rebel army recruits. Soon, I enlisted into the rebel army because of lack of food and survival tools. That is where I met Lt. Zhao Hou Yin, one of the most dedicated soldiers I've ever met. He was about 10 years older than me at the time, meaning he was only in his mid-thirties, but he knew so much about war, about battle. Aside from Hassan, he taught me most of what I know about battle," Tsau narrated to them, catching their full attention. "The man's focus was always on politics, but mainly more on philosophy of war, and he taught me many things that I'd eventually never really use in battle. I learned more…useful techniques on the battlefield."

Elizabeth's eyes focused in on Tsau. "So…what happened later?"

"A few years later, the rebel army split," Tsau explained. "And I found myself on the other side of the battle, opposite to Zhao's. Back then, we were still just soldiers. If we were on the battlefield, we were soldiers. Off the battlefield, we were just men."

"And you fought him," Zi said in a somewhat disturbed tone. "Knowing that he was still your friend at heart?"

"The rules of the battle bound us from making irrational decisions," Tsau explained. "It didn't matter. We tried to avoid each other the whole battle. After the short campaign of the split rebellion, Zhao came to me with a proposition. He was beginning his own rebel army to overtake the government and the other rebels. Zhao always spoke of a society of equality and commute, as you heard back there. I refused, however, after watching him slay innocent civilians to send a message to the government. I used to look up to him. He used to be the brother figure I didn't have. We lived and fought together on the battlefield."

Will nodded. "So that's why you two are in bad terms, then. Because he formed a new rebel group."

"More like terrorists," Tsau said. "He would hold hostage a whole city and kill many civilians…all in the name of his new government. I know I am an assassin…but I would never spill unnecessary blood."

"What did you do after that?" Elizabeth asked.

Tsau shrugged. "I joined a group of thieves and went on to burglarize homes and sell valuables for money. Later, I was caught, then went to that organized prison I spoke of this morning."

"Sounds like you've been through a lot," Will said.

"I've had mine," Tsau replied, walking down the stairs. The rest of the crew looked at one another as he left, leaving the helm in a moment of silence.

**I'll be back with chapter 12 sometime in the future, so check every once in awhile, huh?**


	12. The Atrocity

**Here is Chapter 12, which I finished quite fast, actually. Thanks for the reviews, guys, and don't forget to tell me is something's wrong and such.**

**Chapter 12: The Atrocity**

The camp was always poor. Although Tsau did not like it much, he couldn't blame the rebels. The government was overtaxing civilians, but hopefully, they'll hold up this town long enough to keep imperial guards out. Sitting on a wooden farm fence, a youthful Tsau munched thoughtfully on his bread roll while watching the farmers go up and down the dirty street. He then looked to the side, where some troops set up olive drabbed tents, and noticed that Zhao, his squad's second-in-command, was up from the medical unit today. He had cloths wrapped around his wounds across his chest and on his arms.

"Hey," Tsau greeted him with a smile, getting off the fence. "You feelin' better?"

Zhao smiled back as they exchanged grips. "Yeah, I feel great. I think I can fight."

"Easy there, man," Tsau said, chuckling. "Brains over bravery."

Zhao, holding a cup of green tea, leaned against the fence. "Good philosophy. Did I teach you that?"

"No, I learned from self-experience," Tsau stated, sitting back up on the fence.

His mentor nodded. "Good. People learn most on their own. Everyone expects for someone to do something for them, and I've always noticed this, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Tsau said, slowly shaking his head.

"Like the empire," Zhao started. "Lots of these peasants and farmers can't even think for themselves…they don't know what's good for them and what's not. All they can ever do is pray that their emperor brings good fortune to the land, and that's all they will ever do."

Tsau chuckled again, nodding. "But not us, right?"

Zhao laughed with him. "Nope, not us. See, there are also people who wish that there is a new emperor and all that. They want something good to happen immediately, Tsau. But all they ever do is talk and talk. They're not out here like us, breaking our backs, fighting for what _we_ believe in. Everyone thinks that they're bound by fate, and they can only hope. No, this is not true. If you want something, go out and get it. Don't expect someone to change the empire for you. The rebel army always has room for recruits; for those who want to fight for something."

"And you?" Tsau asked his mentor. "What do you think will happen when the emperor is overthrown?"

Zhao looked down after taking one last sip of his tea. "The rebels will fight each other for the number one spot. There will be many rebels who think they can lead over each other. How could we ever survive the empire if we can't survive each other?"

"So do _you_ hope to lead?" Tsau asked, looking at Zhao.

Zhao nodded. "I want to lead these people more than anything. I'm already rising through the ranks, and pretty soon, I'll be up there with the rebel leaders. I will never forgive our government for what they did to me. And you."

"Yeah, I get you," Tsau stated.

A moment passed between them. "There wouldn't be a rebel army if the empire was stable enough. They created us, Tsau. We are the results of their cruelty."

"Then we'll strike them with the rage we have. The anger that burns hotter than a thousand suns," Tsau responded. "What they did to us was monstrous."

"And therefore they have created monsters," Zhao replied with a smile. "Monsters who are sick of their tyranny. I hope there is peace at the end of all of this. I wouldn't like fighting the government for years on end, man."

Tsau then laughed. "If you were still in battle for another few good years, then we'd be enemies by then."

His mentor laughed along with. "Yeah, enemies. It would be such sweet irony if that really happened."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As he woke up, the only sounds present were the waves crashing against the ship and the groaning creak of the wood. Tsau sat up on his bed and put his feet on the floor, running his hand through his clean short hair. Resting his forehead on his left hand, Tsau let his memories drift for a bit before standing up. He was pretty sure that no one else was awake at the moment. Slipping on his boots and keeping his undershirt on, Tsau swiftly grabbed his gloves and strapped on the wristblade. He went outside to get some air, and leaned on the shipside. It was just then, that Will called out to him.

"Hey, Tsau," the captain shouted to him. Tsau turned to face him. "Can you take the wheel? I'm rather sleepy at the moment."

Tsau nodded. "Fine."

Will smiled as Tsau walked up to the helm to steer the Dutchman. "Thank you. I'll be up in a few hours. You don't necessarily have to keep your hands on it. The winds seem pretty calm tonight, so just watch the wheel. There's a chair here if you get tired of standing."

As the captain left, Tsau sat down on the chair and tried to get comfortable, but couldn't. Remembering that he didn't always have to steer it, he got up and went down the helm, walking around the ship. Thinking about his confrontation with Zhao, Tsau's mind focused more on the words that were spoken to him. He was right. Tsau really doesn't have a calling. He never really fought for anything, actually. After a few good hours passed, Tsau could feel a presence drawing closer by the second.

"Death is the only way out, Tsau," an immensely deep voice said behind him. Tsau turned around to face the intruder. "We are all prisoners of our own fate, and we shall forever be suffocating in its tight grasp for the rest of our…unnatural lives."

The intruder was a big man, much taller than Tsau, with bulging muscles and a muscular body covered with tribal tattoos. Being shirtless, the bulky, dark-skinned man also had long hair that was tied in thin dreadlocks, with a few bangs hanging down his face. His arms sported gauntlets that had arm-length blades attached to them, and he wore tattered pants with leather boots.

"I make my own fate," Tsau replied strongly. "No one is in control of me."

"Then why are you setting sail for these worthless people?" the man said in a smooth, deep voice. "Why do you want to destroy the Necromortalis?"

"I've got my reasons," Tsau said, repeating once again his only answer. "Why do you protect it? General Zhao is willing to kill innocent people for it. You work for him, don't you? Are you one of the Deaths?"

The man stood right in front of Tsau. "You are right. I am one of the Deaths. I am the Atrocity."

"So, you believe in Zhao's philosophy, too, huh?" Tsau asked.

The Atrocity shook his head. "I…am not the monster. The general promised my people freedom if I worked for him. I will help him with anything he needs so long as my people become free. You are not a bad man, Tsau Nu Tua, but if destroying you guarantees the freedom of my people, then I shall do what I must. I am sorry."

"You have a choice," Tsau replied in a slightly noble tone. "You don't want to fight me. I don't want to fight you."

"I…I have no choice," the Atrocity answered deeply. He took a few steps back and readied his blades. "Either you kill me, or I kill you."

The clouds in the sky began to build up, and as soon as he engaged, rain began pouring onto the deck. The Atrocity leapt forward with a powerful stroke of his blade, but Tsau rolled underneath and dodged it. As the stroke was ending, the Atrocity threw a backhand, hoping to catch Tsau with it behind him. Tsau barely managed to stay low long enough for it to miss. Kicking himself up from the wood floor, Tsau swiftly threw a low stomp to his opponent's shin, giving him a stinging sensation that rattled in his lower leg. Pausing for a moment to take the pain, Tsau was open to more opportunities, and in a lighting fast movement, he threw a right hook to the Atrocity's face, then following with a punishing left roundhouse kick, knocking the big man backwards.

Tsau then snapped the wristblade out and leaped towards his opponent. The Atrocity, who saw it coming, caught Tsau's left forehand with his right arm and his left arm gripped around his neck. The blades that were on his arm spun around so they were facing the other direction. Under the tight grip of the Atrocity, Tsau noticed the tribal tattoos emitting a faint purple, but as the glows intensified, he noticed his energy slipping away. He wondered what kind of freaks General Zhao was cooking up for him. Before Tsau could think for another moment, the Atrocity shoved the wristblade on his left forearm right into his shoulder. Tsau let out a grunt of pain and was now awake from the small daze he was in. The Atrocity left his arm stuck on his shoulder and lifted him with his hands still on his neck. With a strong motion, he hurled Tsau onto the steps up to the helm, leaving the steps in pieces as the Falcon's limbs smashed with the hard wood. Tsau, staying motionless for the moment, managed to pull out the wristblade attached to his left forearm and stood up from the pile of broken wood. Now all dirty and dusty, Tsau got out from the small bit of shade out into the pouring rain again. Being fatigued from getting his energy drained, he got into a fighting stance, but as he did, a fist had already met with his abdomen, almost knocking the air out of him. Tsau was thrown off his feet and flew a few yards back, slamming against the wood floor.

"How could you defeat Zhao," his opponent said. "When you can't even gather the strength to stand?"

Getting up once again, the Atrocity's blades swung back into place and he charged forward, with his tattoos glowing again. Tsau, with his side turned to him, was hiding his right knee that was charged up and ready to go. As soon as the Atrocity came in close enough proximity, Tsau leaped even harder with his right knee flying straight into his face. The Atrocity, thrown off-guard, fell right on his back with a daze. Tsau regained balance and was ready to unload a beating on his fallen opponent. As he popped out the wristblade once again Tsau was prepared to stab his adversary, but the Atrocity swung the blade attached to his gauntlets up in the air, trying to slice him. Seeing this, Tsau safely caught the blade in between his legs, and moving one of them to the Atrocity's elbow, he applied pressure and snapped the arm of his opponent. Letting out almost a roar, the Atrocity was now in pain as Tsau quickly removed the gauntlet from his broken arm and strapped it on to himself.

With the gauntlet in his possession, Tsau quickly shoved the blade straight into the chest of his opponent, who was still on the ground. Suddenly the screaming stopped, and the Atrocity was quiet. Tsau took off the gauntlet and left it into his opponent.

"I…have never lost a battle," he replied in the same deep voice. "Zhao was right about you. In battle…you are as if possessed by a demon."

Tsau kneeled down to his fallen opponent. The door to the cabins opened and everyone came out to witness the end of the fight. "I gave you a choice. You were a fool and didn't listen."

The Atrocity laughed with blood trickling out of his mouth down his face. "I will gladly welcome the cold embrace of hell for failing my people. You are a good man at heart, Tsau. When you reach Aswad Mohit, I believe she will be there."

"Who?" Tsau asked.

"It does not matter," the Atrocity replied, drawing his last few breaths. "Just be prepared. I bid you luck, Tsau. I'm off…to join my fallen ancestors."

The tribal man then shut his eyes. A purple glow ignited all over his body and in a flash, he was gone. Tsau watched as the glow shot up like a beam to the sky and exploded in midair. The assassin stood up and looked over his shoulder, noticing most of the crew watching him.

"You still need me at the wheel?" he asked Will. Tsau was very fatigued, and the wound on his shoulder was leaking blood all over the deck, not to mention that he was beaten badly with small cuts over his body.

Will had a confused look on his face. "Umm…no. I think I have enough energy to take over."

The fatigued and bloody Tsau nodded. "I think I can go back to sleep now."

Zi watched her childhood friend stumble. "I think you need medical help."

"I'm fine," Tsau replied. After a few more steps, he fell over and smashed into the wood floor. Will, Elizabeth, and Zi rushed towards him, while the rest of the crew watched.

"We need some medical attention here!" Elizabeth shouted.

Will rushed back down to the cabins to find his medical kit.

"Tsau, stay with me," Zi said. "You're pretty hurt, but I think you'll be fine."

Tsau was breathing hard as they put pressure on his wound. "Ach, damn. I need something…calm me down…something…calm."

Bootstrap walked up to Tsau and handed him a bottle. "Here's some of my special rum. It's extra strong."

The two girls looked up at him. "What?!" they both responded with slight outrage.

Tsau tiredly grabbed the bottle of rum and started gulping it in massive quantities. "Gimme that," he said, shutting his eyes.

The feeling of having these people caring for him and keeping him alive sparked odd emotions inside of him. Tsau had not felt that way in a long time. As they kept pressure on him, he started drifting to sleep due to the fatigue, knowing that _they_ were there. He was in good hands because of _them_. When everyone was too busy cleaning the wound, Tsau smiled a smile people would rarely or never even see on him. Nobody noticed this, however, because they were too busy cleaning his wounds.

**Chapter 13 will be up as soon as I'm done, which doesn't explain when it'll be done. Haha. Just hang in there, guys. Tell me what you thought of chap 12!**


	13. Aswad Revisited

**Hey, guys. I just finished Chapter 13 today, and boy, is this one long. It's a lot longer than the others, because it is more of a transitional chapter and not much happens here, but we DO get to see more development with Tsau and Zi. Anyway, the big thing that I'll change from now on is that ALL of the flashbacks will be in chronological order for Tsau.**

**Chapter 13: Aswad Revisited  
**

"Tsau, wait up!" a young, feminine voice shouted behind him. "You walk too quickly!"

Tsau, dressed in his bright, red scholar robes, turned around and watched Zi scurry forward with her scroll. "You walk too slowly!" he replied with a smile.

She caught up with him and caught a few breaths. "How are your studies coming along?"

Her friend turned and continued walking along the wooden arch bridge. "Do you mind telling me yours?"

The bridge arched over a small, peaceful pond with graceful flora and fauna that inhabited it. The afternoon sun was reflected off of the nearly clear water of the pond, and the chirp of birds could have brought an angry person to peace. White lotus petals floated in the pond, drifting about in peace and silence. Tsau was heading home, since study sessions were over.

"Hey, come on," Zi said. "I questioned you first. Tsau, look at me."

Tsau turned around to his fellow scholar. "Okay, tell you what. If I answer your batch of questions for today, then you have to promise that you'll come over to my house for dinner. Deal?"

"Dinner?" Zi asked. "What are you trying to do?"

Tsau paused for a moment and was a bit speechless. "Well…I just…want to get to know you better…"

Zi looked at him in an odd manner. "Get to know me better?"

"If I could put it in more gentle words, then I would," Tsau said with a smirk. "But, you know, how else can I put it? I just want to get to know you."

The young woman looked down and thought for a moment. This was one of those times where Tsau managed to make her blush. "Gee…I don't know if I have the time."

"Then I guess you've got better matters to attend do," Tsau replied, snapping close the small fan that he had in his hand. "Look, I've also got my own things to do if you're too busy. See you later then, Izzi."

Zi broke from her blush and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you keep calling me that!? My name is Zi Kwon Lang…"

"You'll always be Izzi in my memory, so get used to it," he said teasingly. "You know that some of your friends have been putting bets that you wouldn't get to me?"

She gasped with her mouth open. "How dare they…argh…I'll show them…"

"Yeah, well. I have to go, Izzi," Tsau replied with a light expression. "I have to get home quickly…and I gotta say, I'm a pretty darn good cook. I'm not pointing anything out, however…"

Zi squinted with suspicion. "Why so open all of a sudden?"

"My parents won't be home. They'll be on a trip to the imperial city for a few weeks. I just wanna spend some time. It's going to be a little lonely, and I think I'll need the company of someone to keep the burglars away," Tsau explained.

"I think I have to be somewhere with my friends tonight," Zi replied nervously, giving herself a slight cool with her fan.

"You can forget your friends," Tsau replied, edging closer to her. "_You've_ been around with me before. You know that Tsau will always be a lot more fun."

She let go of a subtle, but cute smile and gazed into his eyes. "Okay, tonight. I'll have to tell my parents that I'm going over to study with you. They trust you enough to let me go."

"Come on, Izzi. Of course they'll let you. Your dad's a pirate, and he knows me pretty well since I've visited you guys a few times," Tsau replied with a nod. "I'll see you tonight."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although his head was heavy, Tsau woke up with his mind cleared of thoughts. He felt much better, considering the damage he took in his last fight with the Atrocity. Thinking about the words that came from his opponent's mouth, Tsau felt a slight guilt coming on to him. The Atrocity was just a man fighting for his people, and Tsau has taken away that chance of salvation. After that thought, his let his mind overpower his emotions and told himself that it wasn't his fault. In all truthfulness, Atrocity wanted to fight him, and the outcome was the outcome; nothing more, nothing less. Only the strongest and most ruthless would survive.

Getting up from his bed, he noticed that Zi was sitting in the chair at the corner of his cabin, sound asleep. From the looks of outside, it seemed to be morning. Tsau got up and stretched his body, cracking all the tight bones and loosening his muscles. The White Falcon symbol was tattooed on his back and moved in odd ways as Tsau flexed his perfectly toned muscles. Standing up discreetly, he noticed that his pants were off and he was wearing his underpants. Tsau quickly spotted his pants and put them back on in a quiet manner. He couldn't find his undershirt, so he ignored it. Before stepping outside, he kindly grabbed the blankets that covered him and put them over Zi, watching her cute little breaths as she slept for another moment. He felt different this time around. Why was he all of a sudden feeling good about himself? He didn't do anything relatively good to feel a sense of peace inside. Tsau then broke from his gaze and went outside, trying to scoff away his sudden positive feelings.

With the morning sun evident, Tsau's body felt really cramped, so out on the deck, he decided to do a small workout to rejuvenate his muscles and bones.

"Feeling better?" Will's voice said loudly to him from up at the helm.

Tsau almost smiled, but held it back. "I feel great….thanks for asking…" he replied in a slight hesitant sense.

Will smiled. "'Tis a beautiful day. Enjoy it."

"Yeah," Tsau said, putting his leg up on the shipside to stretch it. "I'll try."

As he was stretching out, Will continued talking. "You were out for two days…we had to take extra care of you. Especially your friend, Zi. She had a watchful eye on you day and night."

"I don't think I needed any extra help," Tsau replied in his normal tone. "Thanks anyway."

He then fell forward and did pushups upon impact to the ground, and fast ones, at that, but after a quick 20 pushups, a pair of boots came into vision and walked until they were right in front of him. Tsau looked up and saw Zi, who was looking at him with a soft look on her face. He stood up and looked into her eyes.

"Hey there," Tsau said in a gentle voice.

She looked at him and smiled softly. "I stitched up your shirt."  
Zi handed over Tsau's undershirt to him and he slipped it on. "Thanks for fixing it."

In the soft, mellow moment between the two, Zi just returned with a smile and walked away, back down to the cabins. Tsau watched her until she was gone, noticing that she took a pause in her steps to slightly look over her shoulder, with her smooth black hair tied in an odango (bun-like) fashion, with a Chinese pin holding it up. He found himself watching the direction where she left after she was long gone.

"I saw that," a voice said behind him. Tsau turned around and saw Elizabeth walking up to him. She let out a laugh, and noticed that Tsau chuckled a bit, too. The laughing moment then passed. "How are you feeling?"

Tsau shrugged. "I'm feeling good. I think I can fight."

"Easy there," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Intelligence over strength."

The Falcon paused for a moment, remembering that he replied similar words to Zhao once. "Yeah. I know."

"You look serene, today," Elizabeth then said. "Not as tense as you usually are."

He shrugged again. "Is there a reason to be serene?"

"Zi," Elizabeth replied. "She seems to be emotionally affected by what happens to you."

"That's not good," he said. "It just means that she has another weakness."

She shook her head. "It's okay to be vulnerable, Tsau. It's okay to be weak."

"Not where I come from," Tsau replied in that same deep assassin-like tone. He turned around and resumed his workout. "Where I come from, people will take that as an opportunity, and use it against you."

"People like you?" Zi said from behind, catching him off guard.

Tsau turned around and faced her. "Yeah. People like me, but as I said before, I'm not a sadist. I don't kill for the love of it."

"But you do it anyway," she immediately replied. Tsau didn't respond and kept his workout going.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later, they reached the busy docks of Aswad Mohit, which had not changed since they were last here. Will and the rest of his crew marveled at the well-constructed and busy city, eyeing the many sandstone buildings and the busy merchants. Tsau, who stood alongside Will, Elizabeth, and Zi on the shipside, buckled up his wristblade as they drew closer.

"So," Tsau started, looking down at the wristblade as he snapped the buckles shut. "I guess it's back into the frying pan, then. Welcome to a city of sin, Mr. Turner."

Will watched the docks and the buildings. He noticed that there was one central building in the middle that towered over the others, and guessed it was where the government was. "It's beautiful."

"Its people aren't," Tsau replied, finally looking up at the city. Zi, on the other end of the three, turned to look at Tsau as she heard him say that. "Don't find a warm welcome in the part of town where we're going. There's no love for you in the heart of the city."

Will turned to look at him as he popped out his wristblade, then back in. "You're rather…cynical, aren't you?"

"Sure," Tsau said, tweaking with the blade. "Call me what you want. The way I am is based on the life I was given."

Elizabeth also slightly turned to hear what he said. He told her those same words once, too. "How long will we be here?"

Tsau tried working the mechanical blade again. "Long enough that your husband will have to stay on board. We could be here for awhile. A few weeks, tops."

"Those soldiers are coming after us," Zi noted. "Like the one you fought earlier. Surely you won't end up the same way you did?"

"If I do," Tsau said in a lighter mood. "That just means you'll have the pleasure of undressing me again."

All three of them looked at him in an unusual manner. He returned with a raised eyebrow and a slightly cocky smirk.

Zi had her mouth opened in false disgust as she tried to express it. "That's not what I meant. I didn't like undressing _you_!"

"Hey," Tsau replied in that light mood again, noticing her pouting. "It's just a statement. Why get so defensive about it?"

"I don't care if it's a…argh! Whatever," she crossed her arms and turned her head away, seeming to pout. Will and Elizabeth each turned their heads to whomever was speaking, seemingly amused by their conversation.

Elizabeth looked down. "Returning to the subject at hand, do you think they'll pose any threat to us here? Do you think you'll attain severe damages like your last confrontation?"

"It won't happen here," Tsau then said in his serious voice as the Dutchman was beginning to dock. "These streets are mine, and I know them better than Zhao's Deaths. I'll be invisible when the next adversary comes for me."

When the ship docked, Tsau packed up his belongings and stepped off the ship. Behind him was Zi, but Elizabeth stayed.

"You're not coming?" Zi asked her.

"I'll visit in a few days," Elizabeth replied. "I want to spend time with my family."

Tsau waited for Zi. "You do that," he said in slight support. "When I have more answers, I'll return.

Elizabeth waved to them as they disappeared amidst the crowds and crowds of people, no longer visible to her eyes.

As they walked, Tsau looked at his childhood friend. "Watch out for some of these people. They aren't the nicest individuals you'll meet."

"I've been around pirates," Zi then stated.

Tsau kept a straight face before putting his hood up, shading his face. "But not killers."

"I've been around _you_," Zi replied. "The coldest assassin that I've come across."

He let out a slight chuckle. "Touché."

When they continued, people often turned to him and bowed in respect, muttering words of decency to him. Zi noticed this, and it seemed like Tsau commanded a lot of respect amongst the civilians of this part of town. He politely bowed back to them as they continued. Before they came close to the square where the Gilded Fountain rested, they were met up by one of Tsau's colleagues, dressed in similar attire, but only with different accessories and weapons.

"Back in town already?" the assassin said. "Here to see Hassan?"

Tsau shook his head and kept walking. "Not yet. I have a little bit of business to take care of first."

The assassin then looked at Zi. "…and who might _this_ be?" he asked in curiosity.

"This is my frie—shipmate, Zi Kwon Lang," Tsau replied with a pause. Zi noticed this and took it quite negatively, becoming slightly angry at him. "Zi, this is Ramadi Rashad, one of the White Falcons."

Zi shook his hand and smiled politely. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ramadi uncovered his hood and let out a friendly chuckle. "No, I think the pleasure is all mine."

"For a Persian, your English is perfect," Zi complimented, waiting to see if Tsau took a bit of jealousy in it.

Tsau's friend was very handsome and gentle, enough for her to think that he might not even _be_ an assassin. "Why thank you, and so is yours. I was a scholar who attended the University of Cambridge. Your English isn't so bad, yourself. Did you go to any great schools? I know my friend Tsau, here, has been to one."

"Actually, I was his frie—classmate," Zi replied in the same manner Tsau did. Under his dark hood, Tsau smiled to himself. "Did he not mention me?"

Ramadi chuckled. "No, I don't think he ever did. Shame on you, Tsau. She is a very bright individual, and you two were classmates! What are the chances of you two running into each other again?"

"Apparently, none," Tsau replied blankly as he paced along the roads. "I…didn't think I'd see her again. Anyway, don't you have some place to be right now?"

His friend laughed. "I think the legendary assassin isn't having a good day today. I guess I'll see you later, Zi. It was great meeting you."

Zi smiled. "Likewise. I hope to see you again."

As Ramadi left, putting his hood back on, she then turned to Tsau, who ignored her gaze.

"Charming individual," she said. "He was a real class act."

Tsau kept ignoring her stare. "You have no idea."

"So I guess you are the only assassin out of your whole group who is completely antisocial, then?" she then asked.

An overshadowed smile came across his face. "I am charming when I need to be."

"But you can at least be polite like Ramadi," she countered. "He's not so negative on his outlooks, unlike you."

"His assassinations haven't even hit the 50 mark, yet," Tsau muttered. "I, too, would still be enthusiastic about my job. Although, he _is_ one of the veterans of the Order."

"Then why is his number so low?"

Tsau and Zi walked past groups and groups of people who still noticed Tsau and paid their respects to him. "He was always more interested in the public image of the Order, and didn't care much for the killing. Ramadi was always the one trying to send a message to our adversaries."

"So why are you 'legend,' then, instead of him?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I always took the harder assassinations, and the public soon noticed."

"Local popularity, then," Zi stated.

Tsau went up towards an alleyway that was blocked by a merchant who was selling goods. As soon as he arrived, the merchant's eyes lit up. "Ah, Mr. Tsau."

He gestured with his head, signaling for the store owner to uncover the cloth that blocked the alleyway, and walked through its dark corridor. The alleyway more or less functioned as the word itself, because it was secluded from everything else.

"Never really cared for it," Tsau replied to her statement.

"But you're a legend!" Zi emphasized. "From the looks of these people, your popularity seems to tower over Jack Sparrow's!"

Tsau walked up to a wooden door that went into one of the buildings. "Legends are usually bad news," he said, taking out a key for the door. "I can tell you right now, I'm no match for the legend. The Legend of Tsau the White Falcon far precedes the person himself. I'm just an ordinary man."

He opened the door and walked in, with her following him. They walked up a large flight of stairs that seemed to have led to a different floor in the building. Inside was very calm and spots of light seemed to come in, and Zi noticed that the place was very clean itself, but also noticed that the atmosphere was very lonely. Although it wasn't dusty and old, the darkness that made its home here overcrowded the room. There was a couch aligned next to the wall, and a desk that was set up next to it. The room was fairly small, but there was a door across from the couch that led to another room.

"This is where you live?" Zi asked.

Tsau replied only with a nod, walking over to the door across the couch and opening it. Zi followed him, as well, and noticed that the next room was a bedroom, having a few drawers and a comfortable-looking mattress. Tsau went over and opened the windows, and the light that shined in illuminated the room completely. The view outside was incredible as you could see many busy merchants and pedestrians below from a noticeably few stories up. The two rooms seemed to be the same size, but roomy at the least.

"Cozy," she complimented.

"Thanks," Tsau replied.

However, there was one more door that was at the corner, and Zi noticed that light broke in from the fine edges. Tsau went over and opened it, and light came into the room. As Zi followed him, he led her outside to a very beautiful, secluded garden at the top of this large building. Training equipment was present, as well as a small, private pool at the other end of the long courtyard. A punching bag hung from a wooden stand, and next to it was a Wing Chun wooden dummy, along with a rack of weapons at disposal, with a table that had many shuriken on top. A few more practice dummies stood across from it to the right, with slash marks and cuts. In between the two was covered with a soft mat for sparring. The pool, however, was very beautiful and clear, especially because it was surrounded by beautiful flora. The entire area was walled up with cement about room height, with small windows every few feet. Across from it, past the pool, stood a door that led into a tower that soared high above them, and provided shade in the middle of the day.

"Tsau," Zi started, completely mesmerized by the peaceful setting. "This place is absolutely beautiful."

"It's a good place to clear my thoughts," Tsau responded, walking forward.

"What is this place?" she then asked.

Tsau turned around to her. "I live above a cathedral. I often speak to the Padre here."

As soon as Tsau said that, the door opened from the other side, and a priest stepped out, noticing Tsau. The man was bald, like most priests were, and was much older than Tsau, probably around his sixties. He walked around the pool and greeted him.

"Tsau, my child," he started. "I thought I heard a noise while in the library. I didn't know you'd be back already."

"Padre," Tsau greeted. "I am back."

The padre smiled and nodded. "That is good, then. Have you brought rest to your spirit yet, my son?"

"I'm afraid not," Tsau replied. "The journey is longer than I thought it was going to be."

"I see," he replied. "And who is this young lady?"

Tsau turned around to Zi and introduced her. "This is Zi Kwon Lang, a friend from my childhood."

Zi noticed that he used the word 'friend' this time. He was much more polite around the holy man, and seemed to be good friends with him.

The padre walked up to her and greeted her. "It is nice to meet you, dear child."

"Zi, this is Father Demetrius," Tsau told her.

She returned a smile and bowed. "It is great to meet you, too."

After a moment, the padre went back towards the cathedral. "Tsau, if you need anything, or need to confess, you know where I'll be."

Tsau nodded as the padre left the vicinity and back down into the cathedral.

"So what are we going to do now?" Zi asked him.

"I know a place where we can get answers," Tsau replied. "You can settle your stuff here, and we'll go."

She was curious. "What place?"

"I can't speak of it," Tsau answered, walking back indoors. "But you'll understand why it exists when we get there."

His words only left Zi in more curiosity as she followed him inside.

**So, yeah, not much happening here. We only get to see where Tsau lives and all that, and some later chapters will delve into his world and expound on why he has that attitude of his. But REMEMBER, ALL flashback sequences will be in chronological order from now on!!!**


	14. Secrets of the Manifest

**Wow, it has really been awhile, hasn't it? I know you guys were (and hopefully still are) waiting for this one, and I tried to add a bit more emphasis on Tsau and Zi's relationship. Oh, and just a reminder, ALL flashback sequences will be in chronological order. I know you think it's corny and all, but it explains a lot about Tsau and adds depth to his character. Oh, one more thing: YES, Tsau's grammar is of modern vocabulary. I wanted to add a really modern feel to him, and hopefully you guys like it so far. Meh, enough of me babbling on. Here's Chap 14 people!**

**Chapter 14: Secrets of the Manifest**

"What do you mean?" Tsau asked his mentor as they stood on opposite ends.

Zhao, who was dressed in armor, gripped his Jian as he stared at his protégé and friend. He had a few soldiers behind him, and Tsau stood alone. "The age of liberation is upon us, Tsau. The rebels have split, and I think it is time that a new faction is formed, one that is ran by a true leader. My heart is peace, but liberation is the blood that it pumps. I want you to be my second-in-command, Tsau. Please. This is all for the best."

Tsau shook his head, seeming not to believe what his mentor had become. "For the best? You didn't have to murder the independent politicians. They were harmless."

His mentor's eyes grew more intense. "Anyone who does not side with my cause shall be killed. Adversaries surround me all the time. I have to find who to trust, and who not to. Can I trust _you_?"

"I don't believe in the sacrifice of the innocent to strengthen your cause," Tsau replied. "You have my absolute trust, but you are going in a direction I cannot follow."

"Tsau, please," Zhao said. "You are the only soldier that I ever trusted. Please don't do this. This is your calling, your home. You belong here. This empire is dirty, and I need your help to cleanse it."

Tsau looked down at the ground as his mentor's words came out, and thought long and hard about his choice, but ultimately shook his head. People like Zhao were ones who killed his parents. Politicians. Tsau was angry, but also realized that throughout the few years he was a rebel, he had never killed anyone. He didn't want to bear with the thought of someone's death.

"No," he said straightly, looking up with angry eyes. "I'll never join you. People like you took my parents away. You have become everything you swore to fight against, and I will not follow that path. I am leaving the rebel campaign, as well as the empire. Good luck with your liberation, because I won't be there to help."

Zhao then looked down and away for a moment, and anger built up inside him. His heart rate increased and the intensity in his eyes grew. "Then you leave me no choice, Tsau," he said. He gestured to one of his armored soldiers. "Take him to the woods, and make it quiet. Come back when you're done."

The soldier went up to Tsau, who didn't fight back, and tied his hands with rope, although they didn't put his hands behind his back. The young soldier looked up at his mentor one last time before he was taken away.

"No one has ever disappointed me as much as you have," Zhao said to him with a cold stare.

Before the soldier escorted him, Tsau still had an intense gaze. "Likewise."

The soldier then took Tsau and dragged him along the dirt road of the village, off into the bamboo woods of the rural area. The silence of the area really brought chills to whoever passed through. When he was far enough to execute him, he stopped. The soldier dropped him to his knees, and Tsau sat there with his eyes closed.

"I don't really see what Zhao sees," the soldier who stood in front of him said. "Especially in you. You are just a ridiculous boy, not knowing what he wants."

Tsau let out a laugh. "Do you?"

"I know exactly what I want," he replied. "But it doesn't mean I see what Zhao always sees. I'm an ordinary man, you know? I have many loved ones at home. A wife, two children."  
Tsau looked up at his captor. "Have they been taken from you?"

The soldier shook his head. "Only one has."

"Then you have no idea what it's like to be me," Tsau stated piercingly. "Thank yourself that you don't see what Zhao sees."

Drawing his blade, the soldier gripped it tight, and looked into the young man's eyes. "All I see is a man who was once loved, beyond his parents. I see a man who was also once loved by his friends…but now, all I see is a man with nothing to lose; a man that no one would care for if he died; a man who only wishes for death to visit him. It is a pity you didn't enjoy what you had."

"Kill me, then," Tsau said boldly. "I serve no other purpose."

The weathered soldier paced around the woods for the moment. "You know, I had a son. A firstborn; and he was a lot like you. Very spirited, clever, smart. He really cared for the politics and social system, whereas I didn't care much. I enjoyed much of my life with him while it lasted, but one day he was murdered. By the very people who swore to protect the citizens of the empire. They said he began arguing with them over unlawful doings. I knew, from that day forward, I wanted to fight against the very people that took him away from me. Zhao gave me this dream, and I will fight with him until I die."

"Apparently, you haven't noticed a change in his ideals lately," Tsau stated, looking down at the ground again.

"That is why I'm telling you this story," the soldier said. "Today, I saw a different man in Zhao. One that is lost within his cause. He really believed in you, and now you have broken his heart…but for the right reasons. I will always serve alongside him in battle. You don't belong here, kid. Zhao's cause has now become corrupt, and he is terrorizing the peoples of our empire. No one, not even me, will bring any justice to him."

"What are you saying?" Tsau asked.

The soldier nodded. "But you. You are different. You are the only person who Zhao will ever fear. When you stood against him, I could see the fear in his eyes. The most imposing threat to him is his apprentice. Only you can stop him, but that day may not be tomorrow, a few weeks, not even a few years from now. When you grow, I believe you will have a calling like my son did…he is 30 years old today, and I lost him 4 years ago. The road ahead is hard, but you will stop Zhao someday. It is men like him that brings the world to its knees."

After his reasoning, the soldier cut the ties on Tsau's hands and helped him stand. "Why are you doing this?" Tsau said. "I…don't understand."

"I don't either," the soldier replied, putting his hand on Tsau's soldier. "But one day, you'll understand why you are fighting. You will defeat Zhao in battle, and restore peace within the empire. I have faith in you."

"I'm not a savior," Tsau shook his head. "I'm just a man."

The soldier smiled. "And so am I."

As he urged Tsau to leave, Tsau ran off without time to thank him, thinking about the soldier's words. The soldier, too, was just a man, but by releasing him, he accepted the fact that even the simplest of men can make a big difference. Tsau smiled to himself as the soldier disappeared through the bamboo, and told himself that he'd always remember that old man's words. He was just a man.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau and Zi walked down the street once again as the sun began to set. The once hot desert-like climate started to become cool. More and more merchants began packing up their things and going into their homes for the night, but not Tsau. They crossed the semi-busy street to a somewhat weathered building that an old, frail man and his skinny, aged dog stood out in front of the entrance. Tsau went up to them and they seemed to be awaiting something.

"I am the savior of mankind," the old man said in a surprisingly strong voice.

Tsau looked at him. "Then you suffer from blatant stupidity."

The old man smiled at the remark and opened the door. "It's part of procedure, Tsau. I apologize that you are irritated."

"Whatever," Tsau replied to the old man. Zi took that moment oddly but followed Tsau nonetheless. It's as if he is here frequently.

"Who is the girl?" the old man said. "She can't go in."

Tsau signaled for Zi to enter the building. "She's helping me."

The old man paused for a moment. "I can't allow her to have the knowledge we possess."

"I can," Tsau countered. "I can't leave her out here by herself."

Zi gave Tsau a look after he said that, then looked back at the old man.

"Fine," he grunted.

The building seemed crummy as they passed through, but the inside was surprisingly nice because the first room was illuminated. They were met by a Persian woman, looking slightly older than Tsau, dressed in Persian robes. Although she was older than Tsau, her beauty seemed magnetizing.

"Oh, Tsau," she started, smiling. "Come to visit again?"

Tsau had a crooked, slight smirk. "Farah. It's a pleasure."

Farah, the Persian woman, then turned to Zi. "Who is this?"

"I am Zi Lang," Zi replied.

The woman nodded. "Yes you are. What business do you have here, Tsau?"

"I need access to the Manifest Archives," Tsau then said. "It's urgent."

Farah let a subtle smile go. "Follow me. The girl must stay."

Tsau then turned to Zi, who nodded in reply, but he instead turned back to Farah, who seemed like she knew Tsau fairly well. "No. She is aiding me in my mission."

She looked at Zi for a moment, and noticed the look in Zi's face because it seemed like these two had a lot more going on between them. "I understand, Tsau. Realize that I will only answer relevant questions."

Tsau nodded. "Of course."

Farah led them down the corridors of the building, down some steps that led deeper down into the building. Zi then realized that this place was so much more than it seemed. Within the dimly lit corridors, people walked back and forth, and the area seemed very busy. They were dressed in the same robe attires, but were racially diverse themselves. Although Zi lagged behind to eye the people working, she noticed that Farah was having a conversation with Tsau, but couldn't make up the words. After a while more down the corridor, they stopped and turned to look at Zi.

"Okay, then," Tsau started. "I'll be somewhere else. Farah will show you around and tell you a bit more about this…establishment."

Zi gave him an odd glare as he backed away down the corridor and went off on his own business.

"So, what can you tell me about this…thing?" Zi asked Farah.

They continued walking down the hallway slowly as the conversation developed further. "The Necromortalis…" she started. "Surely Tsau has told you enough, hasn't he?"

"With that dagger and blade skill of his, he still seems much shaken when the topic is mentioned," Zi replied. "Is something amiss?"  
Farah looked down and a troubled smile came across her face. She never looked at Zi once. "Tsau has his own goals to accomplish in his aiding of the Dutchman. You see, the group that supports the Servants of the Angel of Death is paying him to carry the dagger, since all the servants are dead. This is the group. The very building you are setting foot in belongs to the group known as the Manifest. I am the leader."

"How could you do that to Tsau?" Zi then asked. "He didn't ask for the job, did he?"

"We…put up some money for it," Farah answered with a slight hesitant pause. Zi noticed that she also cleared her throat. "And Tsau was the only one to step up. He took the job of capturing the Necromortalis."

Zi nodded with a slight anger behind it. "I see. I don't know why he tries to hide it so much. But I understand now that he's doing it for the money."

Farah looked down and bit her lip. "Yes. The money…"

"He has changed a lot," Zi said. "He used to be a very cute kid. Always searching for a voice in the world. I never expected him to be like…this."

She then finally turned to Zi after looking down. "Tsau is not completely lost. I still see glimpses of his former self…the former self that I see when I read his mind."

"You can read minds?" Zi asked. "That must be nice."

Farah nodded. "It's quite a nightmare when you deal with different kinds of people."

"Like Tsau?" she asked again.

"I don't like talking about the minds I read," Farah then said. "Tsau was a completely different animal from what I've seen prior to meeting him, and that's all you need to know. …but I can tell you that he is definitely thinking a lot about you."

Zi looked at her oddly. "Really?"

"Don't deny anything I tell you," Farah replied. "Tsau is not a man of fate, but I can see his stars entwine with yours. He knows many things you might not want to hear, but time will tell."

What did she mean by that? Something was definitely amiss here, and Zi noticed it as soon as she read Farah's reactions and responses. They were hiding something from her, and possibly the rest of the crew on the two ships. Zi was a bit angry and didn't ask anymore questions. "I have to go."

As she stormed out of the underground pathway, Tsau stepped out of the room he entered and noticed Zi leaving. He then looked at Farah. "What did you say to her?"

Farah shrugged. "Apparently nothing."

"I told you to keep her occupied," Tsau said, walking towards the exit.

"You finished, didn't you?" Farah said in a regretful voice.

Tsau looked at her one last time and ignored their little situation. "I'll see you later."

As Tsau followed Zi up the stairs and out the door, he suspected that Farah had told her or hinted to her something that wasn't supposed to be said. He did, however, know that Farah was having trouble cooperating with him when he told her to keep Zi occupied.

"Izzi, wait up," Tsau said as Zi walked out the front door.

Zi ignored him and walked out into the street, and it began to rain. Usually the streets of Aswad Mohit saw dryness, but there would be occasional rain. The merchants that used to have stands were now gone, and the streets were empty. Tsau sped up his paces and tried to catch up. He placed his hand on her shoulder, but Zi lightly shoved it out of the way in return. It was as if she was a totally different person, but Tsau didn't really know. In truth, Zi's patience with him was running thin. She had put up with his total confidentiality for quite awhile, from the days overseas to their conversations on the Dutchman. Frankly, she had become sick of it. Tsau stopped in his tracks as she continued walking forward, in slight amusement with her behavior.

"If you're headed to my house," Tsau said in a light voice with that rare smile he gave off. "Then you're headed in the wrong direction."

Annoyed by his comment, she turned around with that angered face of hers and walked the other way, towards Tsau. He didn't move out of the way as she came closer, but instead of avoiding him, she began to pout and hit his chest. "I don't understand what you are trying to do, Tsau! I just don't understand why you are being so private! I knew something was wrong! I just knew! Why do you do this, Tsau!? Why?!"

Tsau stood in front of her as she kept pouting and taking her anger out on him. He didn't have anything to say, and the only thing he could do was listen to her voice, and the shrill power of truth hit him real hard. As his mind began to think about his actions, she soon stopped and tried to catch a breath from her fatigue. Instead of going at him again, she put her arms around him and gripped him tight as her anger began to cool down. Tsau was at a subtle surprise from her sudden grip. Her head rested right above his chest and listened to his heartbeat as Tsau began to experience nostalgic feelings. Unusually, after a bit, he gently and kindly wrapped his arms around her as her hold of him softened, and soothed her in his embrace.

"Tsau…" Zi said gently.

She let go of her embrace and stood close to him, gazing into his eyes, the same eyes she looked into as a scholar, except they were weathered and experienced. He set her wet bangs aside from her face so that he could see her. Keeping a gaze on one another, Zi looked down to his lips, and her face drew closer to his. As their lips came closer to touching, a small pause was present. The rain that dropped seemed to quiet down to a drizzle as the moment came by. Her eyes were closed, completely mystified by the whole situation as her heart rate began to speed up. Tsau's remained calm, however, because these feelings were familiar but distant. In that whole moment, time seemed to stop as they were about to exchange a passionate kiss. He looked up at the rooftops, and Tsau snapped out of the moment and stepped back. Zi opened her eyes and was back into reality. The once subtle rain that they experienced returned to its hard pour as the moment ended.

He swallowed. "We…have to get back. It's rainy out here. The house is _this_ way."

"Okay," Zi said, with her lips enclosed into a bittersweet smile.

Tsau gestured for her to follow him and they walked back to his house in the now dark city streets. He slightly looked over his shoulder to make sure they were no longer there. There were two people on the rooftops watching Tsau and Zi a few moments ago, but now they were gone. A woman dressed in the attire of Persian royalty and a Japanese man dressed in Samurai armor with a blindfold over his scarred face. Tsau would have to keep sharper senses next time, for if he had kissed Zi, they would have both been probably dead. Enemies surround the battlefield.

**Hopefully you guys like it. I've just been waist deep in stuff for the past week, so I haven't had much time. I'll also try to get back to our pirate-y friends...and what of Jack? Hmm? Oh my, I don't know! Maybe you'll have to wait next chapter! Boo hoo. Sarcasm. Sorry. But not really, haha. I think I have enough time to get Chapter 15 done soon, because I am off, YAY! Haha. Don't forget to leave a review if you want to comment on anything. Thanks for all the support, guys. Appreciate it.  
**


	15. The Order Unraveled

**Well, I'm done with Chapter 15, and lots of stuff happens here. Hope you like!**

**Chapter 15: The Order Unraveled **

No one liked the guards. He resented stealing that rich man's beautiful scimitar, but this was too much. Tsau waited as the prison doors opened so he could step outside on the courtyard for a bit of fresh air. To be honest, he had never seen a prison like this. Everything was so organized, so controlled that it didn't seem like anything would go wrong, because Persian guards stood everywhere with their imported British rifles.

"Time to go, Chinese boy," the sloppy-looking guard said out on the doorway. Tsau stepped out in his inmate outfit and walked downstairs of the building D Sector. "Don't do anything stupid."

Tsau kept his head down, and his hard face showing. He wanted to make sure that no one would even attempt to attack him in this prison. As the doors opened to the courtyard, he could see the existing factions that formed amongst the prisoners. The weighty metal cuffs that were laced around his wrists felt hot, for they have been shown the sun for quite a while. As soon as they were out, the guards unhooked his chains.

The sloppy guard munched on a piece of bread. "Okay, boy. This is the courtyard; your playground. Or rather yet, the battleground. Many violent things happen here that you will not like, for Allah's blessing does not reach this corner of hell. They will intimidate you, fight you, tell you that your mother's a fat Chinese pig, and definitely try to kill you. This happens so often that if the fight is no longer much of a loss, then the guards will not stop it. Allegiance with a faction will guarantee you safety, my friend. If you choose to be a loner, then prepare for hard times to come. That is all."

Tsau kept a straight eye. He was not scared, but quite nervous. This atmosphere was unlike anything he's ever seen in his life. He then remembered that he had never killed a man before…not even during his years in the rebellion. Before he could even think for another moment, a rather finely built man with a thick goatee approached him. He was a white man.

"Hello, mate," the man greeted in a friendly tone. Tsau could tell from the accent that he was British. "Welcome to Jahannam."

Tsau tilted his head in confusion. "Jahannam? That's Arabic. What does that mean?"

"It means Hell. Welcome to Hell, my friend…and I am one of its many devils," he then said, giving a sadistic smile.

As he seemed to pull a blade from out of nowhere, Tsau's eyes widened and the adrenaline in his system began to pump quickly. Barely dodging the slash of the small, knife-like blade, Tsau stood back as the prisoners gathered around to watch. After dodging a few more blows, Tsau tried to get a hold of the situation.

"Come on, boy," the man said, waving the blade around. "Make me hurt."

Tsau watched the knife in the man's hand move around, anticipating the next move. With a swift kick, Tsau managed to knock the blade out of his hand. After, Tsau desperately leaped forward with his elbow and struck the man on the top of his head, knocking him out instantly. He took a step back and watched frantically, wondering if he was dead. The sloppy guard waddled up to the two and checked on the fallen inmate. The inmate groaned with pain and shut his eyes.

"You!" the guard yelled to Tsau. "I leave you here for 2 seconds, and _this_ is what happens?!"

"Would you rather have me dead?" Tsau replied with a shrug.

The guard rolled his eyes and carried the fallen inmate back into the medical wing. The rest of the prisoners stared at Tsau for another few moments, then went back to their business. Minutes passed by as Tsau stood there, waiting for something else to happen, but instead, he was greeted by a man dressed in a white hood and coat, almost like a monk, but some of the sand tracings on the coat made it seem like equipment—possibly weaponry—once accompanied it. A very faint symbol of a falcon was imprinted on the back. The man walked over and removed his hood. A fairly taller man than Tsau, his dark, African skin had a few small scars, even across the face and cranium. He bowed down to Tsau.

"That was a unique display of defense there," he said with an Arabic accent. "Most Easterners use that form of combat, but the kind you use seems to be mixed…a slight touch of southern Muay with kung fu?"

Tsau looked at him oddly. "That's right."

"But the way you execute it…" the man said, pacing around. "Is different. It's a bit unpredictable. There's only one other person that I've seen fight like that."

"Enlighten me," Tsau said sarcastically.

The man smiled. "Ah, you even have his attitude, then. The only man who I know fights like that is Tua Tsun-Jai…or rather yet…Tsun-Jai Tua."

"I'm surprised you know him," Tsau said in a slight anger, gripping his fists. This man could be connected to his father's murder, and he's here, right now. He wouldn't pass up a moment like this.

"We were friends," the man then said. "He was a merchant sailor at one point in his life. I am a former pirate. We met during a raid in south China, and I spoke with him, got to know him. Later, we became combat friends, fighting on the same field over a small civil war. Are you…?"

"I'm his son," Tsau replied. "I'm an only child."

The man nodded. "Ah, yes. So, does you father know you're here?"

"He's dead," Tsau responded blatantly. "I am the only one left in my family."

He looked down and shook his head. "I…I'm sorry…I didn't know."

"I know," Tsau said.

The man then looked back up and held out his hand. "My name is Altair Muhammad Hassan. Arrested as the Pirate Lord of the Persian Gulf."

"Tsau Nu Tua," Tsau shook his hand and looked at him for another moment, oddly. "Altair….? Falcon?"

"Yes," Hassan responded with a hearty smile. "I have established an order right before my capturing. The Order of the White Falcon…an order of assassins, spies, thieves, and strong activists."

He chuckled a bit. "Well, your order doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Since you're the leader, and you're here, who's in command?"

"That is what I fear," Hassan said with a nod. "My second-in-command did not get along well with me, and he must be in complete control at this moment. I fear he might send people to kill me from the outside."

Tsau raised an eyebrow. "Well…that's unfortunate for you, then."  
"And you?" Hassan asked. "Do you have any future planned for yourself?"

"I'll just follow wherever the trail leads," Tsau answered, starting to walk away.

Hassan stopped him. "You should come with me. The contracts we give out are very lucrative, my friend. I'll take you under my wing. Teach you the tools of the trade."

"Sorry," Tsau said. "I don't think I can kill someone."

"But look how good you are at it," Hassan replied. "You almost killed that man. The purposes of the assassinations are to scare off the corrupt and the wicked. People who are evil at heart, Tsau. You can help bring peace to many."

Tsau shook his head again. "Look, I'm not you. I—"

"What else do you have, then?" Hassan said in rebuttal. "Right now, I am the closest relative to you. You don't have to join the Order. Just let me watch over you…it is what your father would want."

"You're a pirate," Tsau then said. "I can't trust you."

"But I'm all you have. Did I also tell you that I am a holy man?" Hassan responded. "Please. This prison is dangerous. Let me watch over you."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack Sparrow stood in front of his crew on the Pearl, as it docked on an island somewhat a short distance from Port Royal. They have been on Blackwell's trail for a good week now, and Jack hoped he could clear some misunderstandings with Blackwell, and still strike a deal with him even though he had the chest.

"I'm going to go in," Jack said. "You all stay here—including you, Hector—and don't do anything stupid. Aye?"  
"Aye!" the crew shouted back, except for Barbossa.

Jack clumsily walked along the sand, headed towards a small outhouse between palm trees. As he walked forth, a small group of British and Chinese soldiers came out and had their guns pointed at him.

"I'm here to see Governor Blackwell," Jack said, standing in an arrogantly proud posture.

Behind them came a man who was a good half foot taller than any of them, bulky and tall but his skin was completely gray and covered with scars. His breathing itself really made the sun seem dimmer to bright Jack Sparrow. He was dressed in complete steel armor in an odd European design, because it was definitely not like those of British knights. In his hand was his helmet, and what was on his face was notably his unique feature. Across his jaw, from the top of his nose down to the bottom of his chin, was a dark steel mask that had a small opening across it for his mouth, but it was barred with small steel tips so he could not stick large objects into it. His head was badly scarred and completely bald, and his eyes were dull and cold.

Jack gave off a disgusted, frightened look. "Governor…Black…well…?"

The tall man grunted and signaled for him to go in through the door.

Walking nervously, Jack tried to ignore the man as he went into the outhouse. "That's good, beastie."

Jack walked into the outhouse, but when he stepped in, he noticed a passageway towards underground. The corridors that led down seemed to get cooler as he descended, deep into a small base about a good 30 to 40 feet underneath the ground. The base was not that big, and the rooms were regular size, and it was only a long hallway instead of a large room. Jack noticed people walking around, busy with their work, and then noticed Blackwell walking along the way.

"There you are," Blackwell said. "I've been looking for you."

"Ah, Augustus," Jack enthusiastically replied. "I've come to…clear things up."

The man smiled. "You won't need to anymore. I can kill you right now, you know…"

"Ah, but you won't," Jack alleged with a gesture. "I know of something that can help you…say…completely control the Necromortalis."

"Don't take me for a fool, Jack," Blackwell said. "I know about the dagger. Bring it to me, and I might spare your ship."

Jack had his hands clasped together. "Aww…Augustus…you know Jack Sparrow isn't a fool, either. Only I know how to get it, my friend."

Scowling, Blackwell submitted to him. "What be the plan?"

Jack smiled. "There's always a way…"

"I don't think so, Jack," Blackwell cut him off. "Take him away."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau was once again down in the cathedral, praying for himself quietly, in an everlasting search for himself. He had his eyes shut, but when he opened them, he stepped out of the cathedral and back upstairs to his home. Passing by the small pool, he stopped at the training gear and began to work out. It was 5:00 AM, but this was just another day for Tsau. The only way he achieved his physical shape was all in a day's work, keeping persistence and a commitment to it. The man didn't care how much effort it took, however, for he enjoyed the peace of the morning before the streets flooded with merchants and beggars. Laying down a few punches on the homemade heavy bag, he took breaths and started hopping lightly to warm up his legs. After his leg warmup, he then struck the bag hard with a roundhouse kick, causing the bag to fly far up in the air, then fall back down.

"Tsau?" asked a woken Zi. Her hair was already combed nicely.

Tsau turned around to her. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Are we going to go back to the Dutchman soon?"

"Fairly," he replied.

Zi nodded in return and began to walk back inside. "I'm going to head back first to check on Elizabeth and the others, okay?"

"I'll be there in awhile," Tsau replied, resuming his workout.

Zi smiled and opened the door to the inside, packing her things as Tsau continued working out. To be honest, his place was quite peaceful. Although the lighting is slightly disheartening, she can see why Tsau is peaceful here. The sound of merchants the past few days were very faint, and the sunrise was beautiful. As she hung her bag on her shoulder, she looked back at the door that led to Tsau once more, then headed outside. Descending the stairs and heading outside, Zi noticed that most of the merchants were already setting up their businesses while people walked up and down the street. It was not long before she was surprised by a person she did not expect to see again.

"Farah," Zi said. "What are you—"

"Shh," Farah insisted. "Come with me."

Zi curiously followed her to a quiet alley, where they were secluded from everyone else in the area. Finally alone, Farah looked at Tsau's friend with a sense of worry.

"Okay, what is it?" Zi asked.

"It's about Tsau," Farah stated. "You wanted to know more about him, and this was the only time I could reach you."

Zi looked around, then back at Farah. "What is Tsau really hiding from me?"

Farah nodded, but had trouble finding the words. Zi looked like she cared a lot about him, and if she told her something that could break her heart, things could be bad. Tsau was right, then. It was a better not to tell anyone about his actions and goals. Dreadful things might happen if she told her. "Well, um…it's hard to explain. You see, Tsau is a lot more than what you see. He doesn't like to talk much about what he does, does he?"

Zi shook her head. "No, he doesn't. You didn't answer my question."

"I told you…" Farah said. "It's hard…"  
"Just say it," Zi insisted.

"Well," Farah started with some difficulty. "Tsau has 722 assassinations on his count, you know that, right?"

Zi's eyes widened. "722? I never knew that…that number is high. But he says he's never killed any innocent people. He said he'd 'never spill' their blood."

"That was an assassin term that is used in his order," Farah explained. "When he said 'spilled the blood,' he meant 'assassinated.' To put it clearly, Tsau never 'assassinated' any innocent people. He's killed many kinds of people. Off the record, from his mind, I read over 1000 accounts of murder."

"So, does this mean he is a crazy, blood thirsty killer then?" Zi asked with slight sarcasm. "Are you telling me that he loves to kill people?"

Farah shook her head. "No, by all means, he's a normal person. But I told you this to shed some light on what I'm about to tell you _now_."

"And that is…?" Zi asked.

"Well, you see…" Farah started. "Tsau told me not to tell you anything when you came to visit the Manifest Archives. I couldn't hold back any lies to you. The reason why Tsau came to visit the Manifest was—"

Farah's voice stopped when a green dart pierced her neck into her throat, instantly killing her. Her body collapsed as chills ran down her spine seconds before she finally passed. Zi stumbled back in fright, and looked up at the rooftops. On instinct, she began to run after more darts struck against the walls. Someone was after her. Someone who didn't want her alive…and now she was alone, with no Tsau to help her.

**Chapter 16 will come, but I'm not sure when. It'll be posted, though. Thanks for the support, guys.**


	16. The Predatory

**Here's chapter 16! Read it, and I'd like it if you'd leave a review, please! PS: Hopefully you don't find this chapter too explicit. :P There's a bunch of stuff in this chap that makes it quite different.**

**Chapter 16: The Predatory**

Tsau regurgitated the rest of his gruel onto the sand while he leaned against the wall with his hand. The knife was so cold in his grip, and the blood was starting to dry up from those last three hours. He just had to insist on becoming an assassin, to prove to Hassan that he was stronger than his father. The cold desert breeze of night felt warm, for he could feel his body colder from what had just happened. All the guards were sleeping already, and he'd have to sneak back into his cell soon.

Sitting there for another few moments, Tsau wondered if he could do it again. He wondered if that blade could take another person for him. The sudden psychosis he was enduring made him passive, not thinking, but always in a state of trance. The first four minutes after he claimed that prisoner's life felt like four hours, and the thought of murder lingered in his mind for the next three hours. Tsau finally stood up and wiped the blood off the knife with a torn piece of the dead man's outfit and hid it in a small pocket he made himself. Carefully scaling up the small building that was D Sector, Tsau only felt cold and did not think of much. He had been practicing his acrobatics with Hassan for the past few weeks, and was somewhat confident in his skills. Carefully sneaking up on the rooftops, he found a small door cover to his cell and opened it, sliding back into the prison that held him in. Being an assassin wasn't going to be easy, and he was sure that this murder would haunt him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stumbling over a few crates, Zi's adrenaline pumped through her veins as she desperately tried to find an escape from her pursuer. The merchants were suspicious of what was happening as the lady ran through the streets. Darts seemed to come out of nowhere as they struck the ground, barely missing her. Turning around, she could spot her pursuer behind her.

"A woman…?" she thought.

Finally, as Zi caught the woman putting away her blowgun (blowdart weapon), she changed momentum and turned around to attack her hunter. Zi's changing inertia allowed her to tackle down her enemy with force, causing her to drop the blowgun. The woman looked elegant in her Persian robes, which were designed in the style of royalty, but made out of light military equipment. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her frame was slim and athletic.

As she regained her balance after standing up, Zi barely dodged a reverse roundhouse kick towards the upper body by dropping down and holding herself up by the balance of her arm. From there, Zi quickly spun her body in a Capoeira fashion, deflecting her attacker's kicks and landing a few at the same time. A few more moments of exchanged close combat passed before a small set of troops showed up. They were odd-looking Persian troops, dressed in complete black military clothing including a small tight hood that wrapped around their heads, with light armor a mask of steel covering their faces. A few carried guns, and the rest sported scimitars.

"Uh oh," Zi said as she stopped fighting the woman. As she let her guard down, the woman landed a punch to her cheek and she dropped to the ground.

"Foolish girl," the woman said. "You aren't the one I'm looking for. Where's Tsau? My heart, and my heart only, deserves complete satisfaction."

Zi shook her head and stood up. "I don't know where he is."

"Then maybe I should finish you off," said the woman, picking up her blowgun. "But would it satisfy my craving?"

Zi had a confused look on her face. "What are you talking about?"

The woman shook her head. "Exactly. You wouldn't understand, and you'll never understand me!"

"Why do you want Tsau?" she asked. "What does he have that you want?"  
"That dagger…" the woman answered. "He should have never carried it. It will be in Blackwell's hands soon…"

"Who are you?" Zi then asked. "And why do you side with Blackwell?"

The woman scoffed towards Zi's over her ignorance. "You don't know who I am? Well then. I have no name, but I am merely called, 'The Predatory.' I work with Blackwell to satisfy my craving for murder. I love killing unsuspecting prey."

"The Predatory…"

"I am the hunter that watches," the Predatory said with a seductive accent. "I will always find a way to kill someone, even if I have to wait for days or even weeks. You are a waste of a hunter's talent. My men will dispose of you…they are cannibalistic, you know. I shall enjoy watching them devour your smooth, beautiful skin…like true predators."

Zi froze as the Predatory came close and stroked her cheek, and finally drawing in to kiss her on the lips. With her eyes widening, Zi waited until the kiss was finished, then watched as the Predatory drew back with a smile.

"Yes, you truly are the sign of prey," she said, touching her lips. "So gullible for a sweet kiss. A kiss of death. You are in love, naïve one."

"What do you know about love?" Zi asked negatively, in slight surprise with her statement. "You're just a hunter. A hunter has no time for love."

"I know about it more than you, innocent one," Predatory replied. She took off her front armor and unbuttoned half of her shirt, opening it small enough to reveal the scar on her chest. "See this? This is a scar from my only love. Many years ago, when my true love died, I cut open my chest and threw my heart away so that I cannot bear the pain anymore. Now, every male that I hunt, I fall in love with before I kill, because I can no longer find my heart, and the only memory I have of it is the pain of losing my love. The pain is all I remember, and that is what I want. But, I cannot feel anymore. Zhao…my Saladin, has promised me to find it when he and Blackwell get that dagger, and I will not ask questions."

Zi was taken aback by her story as the Predatory buttoned up her shirt. She had never heard such a story before, but it was quite similar to Davy Jones's story.

"So don't prejudge me, you ignorant girl," she said. "I know more about love than you will ever know. Do what you want with her, but make sure she's dead. I'll look for Tsau."

One of the soldiers raised a gun/crossbow-like weapon, but it seemed to hold a cartridge that allowed it to fire several darts instead of arrows. He loaded a chamber with a dart and shot Zi in the leg, causing her to go numb, and spreading throughout her body, immobilizing her. She fell to the ground as the feeling in her leg passed away, and the soldier slowly walked up with the Predatory still watching.

The minute he was within reach of Zi, a shuriken flew from nowhere and cut past his neck, causing him to gurgle sickeningly with blood and collapsing to the ground. The rest of the soldiers looked around in alertness, scanning the rooftops and merchants.

"So…" the Predatory said. "The hashshashin strikes."

More shuriken flew from the rooftops, killing a couple more troops, causing the panic to increase significantly. The few surviving soldiers completely had their attention towards the rooftops, awaiting the next strike. Zi looked around, impressed but worried at the same time, because Tsau was actually killing these people. Some of them haven't died and were screaming in agony. Did he take pleasure in taking lives? As they were completely distracted, the crowds that passed through were of no point of suspicion to them. And with no suspicion, the Falcon began to strike through social stealth, nowhere to be seen in the unsuspected crowd. Then, in quick slashes of his blade, the rest of the soldiers dropped like flies, and no one even saw him. He picked up the semi-automatic dartgun, and noticed how the mechanics worked, impressed with whoever built it. After, he set eyes on the Predatory, who also spotted him.

"Predatory," he said. "It seems there's a contract on _you_ as well…"

"Contract?" Zi asked surprisingly while still sitting, still numb from her waist down, although removing the dart seemed to help her slowly restore her muscles. Tsau ignored her, however. "What do you mean, contract?"

The Predatory smiled. "It looks like the Atrocity did not last, then. Tsau, you kill for the sake of money, but I kill for the thrill, yet we share much common ground with each other."

"Our similarities are beside the point," Tsau replied with a deep tone.

"But I'm a woman," she said with a smile. "And an apprentice of Zhao. We're practically kindred. You can't kill me. I've never lost a battle."

"It is irrelevant," Tsau gripped his blade, put the dartgun away, and stood with a stone face. "I can kill whoever I'm paid to. I _always_ kill whoever I'm paid to."

The Predatory smiled from hearing that. "Hearing that excites me. You're so strong, Tsau. I will take pleasure in killing you, my love."

"Good," Tsau said in a light tone. "The Atrocity was a bit rough, but I ended up killing him, so go easy on me. I haven't fully recuperated from my last fight."

"But you seem to be a man who likes it hard," she replied. Zi looked at her oddly from her type of wording. "If Atrocity couldn't satisfy your bloodlust, then maybe I can end your misery."

Tsau smirked at her wordplay and looked down at the agonized soldier, who was not quite dead, yet, but immobilized. He looked back up at the Predatory and lifted his blade, then killed the wounded soldier who had a chance for survival. After, Tsau looked back up with the most intimidating eyes Zi ever looked into. They were cold, primitive, and hungry

"Your lack of knowledge about me is demeaning."

"No," she countered. "You love killing, Tsau. What do you _really_ do with your money? I don't see your riches around here. Usually men of your…appeal…are rich."

Tsau raised an eyebrow. "Off the record, if I wasn't so sure you were a lesbian, I think you're coming on to me."

"I take what I can get," she replied slickly. Her sense of sexuality must be quite intriguing if Tsau was asking her questions about it.

"Then, you are a true predator," Tsau stated with a smirk.

Zi observed the two with utter shock from what they were talking about. Tsau seemed to be quite in the moment, as if he was playing with her with sexual questions and innuendo. At the same time, however, she felt an irritation when his interests seemed to be drawn to the Predatory.

The Predatory let out a chuckle, then swiftly holstered her strapped dartgun and started shooting at Tsau, who barely missed, dodging out towards the side of the building to the left, and she went towards the right. He sheathed his blade and took out his newly obtained dartgun, ready to shoot when she was unsuspecting. Then again, this was _his_ city, and he decided to play with her a little. They aimed and took cover as shots were traded across the streets, some barely missing innocent bystanders. Tsau kept pulling the trigger on the dartgun, until he ran out of ammunition, causing him to think of an approach. He threw the dartgun away.

"Shit," he cursed. "Screw this."

Tsau reached over his back and pulled out his trigun, which was about half the size of a rifle, and loaded the chambers with bullets. The gun had three chambers that formed a triangle, but with only one hammer able to strike them at one time. Each chamber could be easily switched by the jerk of the wrist, giving the gun a decent amount of firing rate. He waited behind the building wall for her, noticing that she stopped firing, and peeked, causing more darts to fly towards him. Gathering his breaths, Tsau pulled out a shuriken from his item belt and peeked once again. At that instant, he rolled out from his cover spot and at the same time, hurled the star at her. The Predatory barely dodged it, rolling out into the street along with him, and dropped her dartgun in the process, but she still had her blowgun. Tsau walked up to her and pointed the trigun to her and was about to fire, but as she got up, she picked up some sand along the way and threw it in his face, causing him to misfire and hit her in the shoulder. The hit caused her to fly back and let a sound of pain escape from her lungs. Right after that, a small group of British troops came on the scene, no larger than the small Persian troops the Predatory brought with her.

"Hey, you!" the captain exclaimed. "Stop!"

As she lay there, gathering breaths, Tsau, jolting his hand to switch the chamber, turned his head around under his hood and stared at the captain with a cold face. Zi finally regained her muscle strength and got up, heading towards the soldiers who defended her.

"You are under arrest, White Falcon," a soldier said. Tsau turned around and started walking slowly towards him. The soldier slowly stepped back in intimidation. "Y-you are wanted f-for…um, assassination...organized m-murder…a-and a member of an existing…gang."

Tsau cracked his neck and let out a breath. "Ghost me…if you dare."

The soldier shook his head nervously. "I-I don't understand."

He then turned around with his trigun and faced the Predatory again, who was up and had her blowgun ready. Right at the point of letting the dart fly at Tsau, the moment was narrow and time seemed to pause. As Tsau quickly raised the trigun, a shot fired and caught both of them by surprise.

He turned around to see Zi with a raised pistol, and smoke coming out from the chamber of the freshly fired weapon. Her hand started shaking as she dropped the gun and collapsed to her knees. The Predatory had a deadly wound in her chest and she fell back. Tsau ran towards the pupil of General Zhao and kneeled down, watching his target slowly die.

She drew breaths as a subtle smile came across her face. "I never knew that a battle with you would make me so…alive…"

"Take it easy," Tsau said. "I heard you explaining your story to Zi…"  
"Yes," she said with a smile again. "Somehow, I always knew that bloodlust would never fill in my missing spaces. I guess…I've just been waiting for someone to come one day and kill me. Each battle, each murder, each unfortunate victory was always the case. I knew I was cursed. God and the Devil would not let me die because I threw away my heart…they would not let me go. But you, Tsau…you are different. I see the fear you put into your enemies. I see why even Zhao is afraid of you. I see why _he_ is afraid of you."

"Who's he?" Tsau asked.

Her breaths became harder as she talked. "He is Drak Nesirus. All I know is that he has something to do with Zhao and Blackwell's plan…and they fear you, Tsau. Zhao curses you for not having anything to fight for, but they fear you. They are afraid for the moment when you start thinking about what you want…but I don't understand why you chase the Necromortalis."

Tsau sighed. "I have my reasons, but I have something to strive for."

"Then I see why you've got them so spooked," she replied. "You are a real fighter, Tsau…I'll be watching from above, where I shall meet my true love once again. Finish me off, Tsau, like a true hunter."  
Tsau looked down to his wrist and popped the blade open. "I'll make it quick."

He then shoved the wristblade into her chest which caused her to react painfully, letting out groans of agony. After a split second, she looked at Tsau one more time with a smile, then the fierce fire in her eyes burned out its last bit of fuel. Tsau stood up and watched as her body disintegrated into small glimpses of light that scattered away into the air. He looked up as the light disappeared into the mid-morning sky. The British troops behind him aimed their guns.

"You are under arrest," their squad captain said. "…Reaper."

**Chapter 17 will be here soon. Please keep the reviews coming, guys!**


	17. Shadow of the Reaper

**Chapter 17 was already in works a few days ago, and I managed to finish it today. Hopefully you guys like it!**

**Chapter 17: Shadow of the Reaper**

The man in the white coat sat in the bar, drinking a cup of water. There were other people around, too, and up on the stage were men playing Arabic instruments. People danced, laughed, and enjoyed themselves for the evening. The man kept his eye on the lead player, however. As the waitress came by, dressed scantily in her Persian skirt, Tsau, looking years older out of prison, looked up at her and pulled his hood down.

"Excuse me, miss," the 22 year old asked. "Who is that, playing up on stage?"

She smiled at the handsome young man. "Oh, that's Hakim, dear. He's the owner."

Tsau smiled at her and looked back up at him. "He's wonderful. Do you mind telling him that I'd like to buy him a drink?"

He placed a few gold coins on the table and she returned a grin, picking up the gold coins. "Yeah, I'll do that for you."

"Thank you," Tsau smiled.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pedestrians gasped at the sounding of his name, not knowing who he really was until the British revealed his identity.

"Only one Falcon could cause such destruction," the captain added. "And that Falcon is Tsau, the Reaper. I hereby place you under arrest."

Tsau looked over his shoulder, then turned around. "Ghost me."

"Well," the captain replied, stepping in front of Zi to protect her. She was still in a slight shock from pulling the trigger. "You _are_ wanted dead or alive. I used to think you were an urban legend, but now I have you, and the reward will be substantial."

"Tsau _is_ an urban legend," he answered, reloading his trigun. "He doesn't exist anymore. I'm just another man."

The captain aimed his handgun. "You raise that weapon, and I'll shoot you."

"Either way, I'll be dead if you succeed," Tsau replied. "Captain, you know too much about the Reaper. As his former comrade, I know he would not allow this."

"Former?"

"That's right," Tsau replied. "The Reaper has stepped down from his duty as a White Falcon. He is an everyman, now, just like each one of you."

The captain smirked. "One less Falcon will not hurt the law of this city. Open fire."

Zi looked up with wide eyes. "No, don't—"

Right as they pulled the triggers, Tsau seemed to be untouchable as he barely avoided the gunfire while headed towards the side of a building to take cover. He, himself, was surprised that he barely dodged them. Behind the cover, he drew his Dagger of Black Death and watched as they took time to reload, which was a big mistake. He charged forward and shot the first man, who fell down, and used the momentum to cut the next across the throat with his dagger. Right after, he switched the chambers and aimed the gun again, but it was swatted away by the opposing soldier's rifle. Tsau quickly reached for a shuriken and hurled it to the soldier's chest, killing him. Zi watched frantically from a slight distance. There was no reason to kill these men, but Tsau was doing it anyway. He could have run away, but instead he was fighting.

Tsau drew his short katana and hacked away the last few panicking, reloading soldiers, leaving the captain in his sights. Sheathing his weapons and picking up the trigun, Tsau watched as the captain drew his rapier.

"Let us settle this with honor," he said.

Tsau let out a dark chuckle. "You believe that there's honor in battle?"

"Of course," the captain replied. "It is what makes us soldiers so strong."

"Then you are a fool," Tsau said deeply.

Tsau quickly aimed the gun and fired his second shot into the captain's head, causing him to collapse to the ground and twitch a bit before he died. Zi was now afraid of the man who stood before here; a man who didn't seem to mind what he does for a living. Before she could get up, a British soldier came up from behind her and helped her by the arm.

"Let's get you to safety, miss," he said, helping her stand. "Come with me."

Without thinking, Zi followed him in her slight passive state. The cold realization of who Tsau really was gave her a wake up call. As they took several more paces away from the scene, a last shot fired from behind and hit the soldier in the back, killing him instantly. He fell forward and his life completely disappeared in Zi's eyes. Tsau came up to her and looked at her dead in the eyes. His eyes were unchanged. Still composed, relaxed, but she could see that they were crystallizing. Pretty soon, Tsau will be lost forever.

"You okay?" Tsau asked her. "Izzi, look at me."

Her eyes that stared off into space looked at him. "I-I'm fine."

"You're in a post-traumatic state. Just breathe and things will be fine," he said calmly. "I think we should head back a bit and get you taken care of before we head out."

As Tsau escorted her back to his hideout, she began to breathe uneasily from what had just happened. The merchants paid little attention, however, for they were too busy to keep their sights on assassins.

"You'll be fine," Tsau asserted. "Just get a bit of rest."

"Why did you have to kill him?" Zi said with an edgy tone. "He was just trying to help me, Tsau."

"One less assassin is good for this city," Tsau stated. "8 less corrupt guards are better."

"But he had a family," she said. "He was somebody. How could you do something like that, Tsau?"

Tsau looked down. "This is my work. Now you see the true, cold, dark nature of what I do."

"That soldier—"

"That soldier is expendable," Tsau alleged. "Just like me."

Zi looked at him with a melancholy expression. "Did you know who he was?"

"No."

"Then why did you kill him?"

Tsau kept a hard appearance. "Do I always have to know someone before I kill them?"

"But," Zi retaliated. "Those soldiers had someone to lose, Tsau. You, however, don't really have anything to hold on to, do you…Reaper?"

Tsau swallowed her words with some difficulty.

She was quite surprised that he didn't come up with a sharp answer to her question. "Maybe that woman, the Predatory, was right…you love to kill."

"It's my job," Tsau said. "It's my purpose. I have no choice."

"You always had a choice," Zi stated. "A smart person like you should have realized that by now. I think you just decided to go with the killing. Over 722 assassinations, huh? A contract for that woman, too. On top of that, you have killed over 1000 people in your lifetime, a number that only murderers dream of. Are you a murderer, Tsau?"

Tsau could not look at her. "Yes. I am a killer. An assassin. It is my place in this world, and a world that only I will understand. A world that makes sense only to _me_. It is hard for people like you to understand."

"You didn't even know him."

Tsau turned to her with that cold look. "Do you remember the massacre back in our country? Do you?"

She replied with only a nod.

"Thousands of people slain in only one night. No one else cared what happened, so long as the massacre wasn't headed their way. Did you shed a tear for any of them? Did you know any of those victims?" he asked sharply.

She shook her head. "N-no…"

"You didn't know any of those British soldiers, either, did you?" he said harshly.

Zi scoffed and looked away.

"Look, the thing here is that you have to adapt to the situation," Tsau stated. "I finished off the Predatory the way she wanted to, and soldiers showed up. I had to adapt to it. Adaptations, change, any damn thing that will help you stay alive. That's my priority right next to getting the contract done. The ground is large enough to hold more bodies. Improvise with what you have. Improvise."

"More philosophies from an assassin, huh?" she said sarcastically.

"I'm sure there are more than a billion people in this world we live in," Tsau replied sharply. "And you're throwing a fit over a couple of dead people."

She smiled. "An answer I'd only expect from you, then. A name such as 'The Reaper' suits you."

They didn't talk for the rest of the walk back. Zi wasn't going to stop him. She couldn't. Farah was right, in the sense that Tsau was completely different from any other person. Callous, cold-hearted, and Zi also noticed that in his voice that he was beginning to completely lose himself. His mask of composure was slipping, and it will only be a matter of time before Tsau falls into becoming a person like the Predatory. With his prior actions, Zi grasped the fact that he had no redeeming qualities in him. Everything he does is for some selfish reason. If he was protecting her, it was because he signed a contract to do it. Tsau is truly a man of business, completely amoral to its bare definition, and in her mind she had trouble not letting him go. He wasn't the same charismatic Tsau she once knew. The same person she hid feelings for. He is everything that his enemies are, and that's what she knew she had to accept before she, herself, falls apart. Instead of heading back to his house, they walked another direction, towards the Gilded Fountain, where Altair Muhammad Hassan was located. Strangely, Zi felt apologetic to Tsau. Usually she was tougher and would retaliate from such behavior, but since it was Tsau, she was different. His behavior was rubbing off on her.

"I'm sorry, Tsau," she finally said, speaking up as they pressed forward through the crowd. "I was weak. It won't happen again. It just hurts to know that you…well, I never expected for you to kill someone like that. I wasn't ready to kill someone either…"

"You don't need to explain yourself. You handled it quite well," Tsau replied. "Don't blame yourself for anything. Don't linger on failures; they'll only throw you off routine."

Zi nodded with silence. "Right."  
Tsau sighed. "I didn't expect you to kill the Predatory. I didn't want you to bear the burden of killing someone. I didn't want you to see the world I see. After this is over, we should go our separate ways. We're worlds apart. You, Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and even Barbossa can't survive the world I live in."

"Um, are you alright?"

"I'm just fine," Tsau said. "And…another thing. No matter what happens, if we split at the end and never see each other again…"  
"Yes?"

Tsau shook his head. "Nothing. I'll tell you when you're ready."

"You mean when _you're_ ready," she replied with a smile. "Take your time, Tsau. I'll always be here to listen. Remember that."

He looked away. "Don't."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't matter what I think anymore," Tsau stated. "If we survive, then I'll tell you more about me."

"Then let me ask a few questions first. How did you get your name, 'Reaper'?" she asked in curiosity.

Tsau let out a chuckle with her statement. "It's what I do best. I take lives."

"Like Grimm Reaper?" she asked again.

He nodded. "Yes. Like that. If I became one of Zhao's Deaths, then my permanent name would be the Reaper. Just like Atrocity and Predatory."

"So is there anyone you like?" she asked. "In…particular?"

Tsau shook his head. "I've never really been interested with other people's lives."

"But don't you get lonely?" she asked.

"Sure," Tsau nodded. "But I have company every now and then. It's just that the way I live…it's a bit…"

She looked at him with a smile. "Asocial."

"Somewhat," Tsau said. "Almost everyone I come across dies at some point. Everyone I come across gets killed…as if I'm being punished. There are many…lonely dinners at the table. No one sits across. No one to talk to. Then, when everything ices over, you just accept it."  
Zi looked at him but he didn't look back. "And adapt? Improvise?"

He slightly smiled. "Yeah, something like that."

She wrapped her arms around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "Sounds lonely, Tsau."

Perhaps there was hope for Tsau. Zi began to conclude that he was trying to fight his way back into being who he used to be. She could help him if she just talked to him. A smile came across her face after seeing the small glimpses of Tsau's former self.

"But…" Tsau said in his light tone. "I also saw that little kiss she gave you."

Zi began to blush. "Whaaat?! What kiss?!"

"Oh, nothing," he smiled a bit and cleared his throat. "I just have to say…it was quite…arousing."

She playfully shoved him. "Whatever, Tsau."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack, meet my superior," Blackwell said. "Drak Nesirus."

Jack watched the chair behind the desk turn around and looked at Drak dead in his eye. The entire facial structure was so similar to a man he knew. "Woah. I am quite waist deep in confusion right now, mate, and you are filling it up to the neck."

"So," he spoke in an almost familiar voice. The accent leaned more towards British. "You're Jack Sparrow. The famous pirate."

"Ah, so you know me as well," Jack replied. "The Immortal Cap'n Jack—"

"Yes, that's wonderful," Nesirus stated, cutting him off. "Tell me, how much do you know about that dagger?"

Jack smiled. "Ah, striking a deal, now, are we? You know, you look just like him. The straight face and everything."

"All will be clear when the time comes," Nesirus stated slickly. "Now, about that Dagger. I do have a plan, but it involves with betrayal. Are you ready to betray, pirate?"

"What's in it for me?" Jack asked.

Nesirus smirked. "I will help you spare the Dutchman for your use, provided that I receive 20 percent of your pillaging profits in the future."

"Let's see how far this goes, mate," Jack replied. "Jack Sparrow is the king of all deals."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the people left the bar, Tsau sat alone with the musician and owner of the bar. Across the table, they talked and smiled, seeming to have a wonderful time. Hakim was a slightly chubby man, although with a shaven beard and definitely not Muslim. He seemed to be influenced by the British arrival in Aswad.

"Yes," Hakim nodded. "And one day, when I was still very young, through those doors…you wouldn't guess who came to visit."

Tsau had a smile. "Who?"

"The Prince of Persia," Hakim stated. Tsau had his mouth open in slight awe. "I'm telling you, the most honorable, most fashionable man came through those doors."

"Wow," Tsau replied.

"Yes, and he was definitely taught by some of the best musicians in the…" he paused to gather his words. "…world."

Tsau nodded. "So what happened?"

"I was young," he stated. "But I got to play with him. For one hour I spent time upstage playing with the Prince of Persia."

"Oh yeah?" Tsau asked. "How did it feel?"

Hakim shook his head. "Oh, it was, uh…intimidating."

"And how did you do?"

Chuckling, Hakim raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're not really shit when you're playing music with the Prince. And boy, he was good. He was a really polite man, but music was his passion. When he was playing, he was fierce and completely focused."

"What did he say to you after?"

"One word: good," Hakim replied. "What he meant by 'good' was 'skilled, but not ready,' and he definitely meant 'come see me when you're older, I might have a job for you.'"

Tsau kept a subtle smile. "And _did_ you?"

Hakim shook his head. "No. I was selected to go into the British Support Corps of the Persian Army. When I came back, it was already too late."

"Amazing story," Tsau complimented. "I love it."

"Why thank you," Hakim replied. "It's great to have someone listen."

Tsau's smile died a bit as he was going to speak next. "I'd love to tell it to the people at Basim Asad."

As Hakim's cup reached his lips, he heard the words and his face immediately died and turned into one of shock. He set his cup down and looked at the man across the table with dead eyes. "Y-You know the people at Basim?"

"I know what you did there, too, along with your British Support Corps," Tsau said in a serious tone, watching the waitresses keeping busy in the back of the bar. He placed an amulet on the table. "My employer wanted you to see this before you go. Take a good look at it, Hakim."

Hakim looked down at the amulet, and in the middle, it was formed into somewhat the shape of a falcon spreading its wings. "…Altair?"

"That's right," Tsau said.

"Just when I thought you were an honest man," Hakim stated.

Tsau kept a strong gaze. "I _am_ an honest man; an honest man with a contract to fulfill. I'll ask you one trivia question, and if you can answer it, I'll let you go."

Hakim breathed for another few moments before answering. "If you let me go, I'll run away from this city so far, it'll be as if I was dead. Okay, what is the question?"

"Where did the Prince learn music?" Tsau asked.

"I know everything there is to know about our Prince."

"Then answer."

Hakim swallowed. "He was sent to Oxford University with several princes and princesses around the world, and was influenced by the best musicians the world had to offer."

Tsau smiled. "Good, except you forgot one thing."

"And that is?"

The Falcon exposed his arm from under the table that was holding a throwing dart. At the flick of his wrist, Tsau sent the poison dart flying straight into Hakim's throat, killing him instantly. As Hakim began to fall towards the table, Tsau caught his head and rested it carefully on the top. Hastily, he pulled out his knife and scraped a stylish R on the wood table, leaving the White Falcon amulet as well.

"I'm still an assassin," Tsau said darkly. Seeing that no one was in sight, no one must have noticed, and the Reaper stood up and left the bar in silence. The shadow of the Reaper could be seen in the dim light on the way out for a slight moment, but it soon disappeared.

**I'll get Chapter 18 done next, so don't leave your computers for too long, heh. Thanks for the reviews, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.**


	18. Possessed Massacre

**Here's Chapter 18, guys. Hope you like it. As you can see, I'm moving a bit fast, aren't I? Hah, it's because I've had quite a bit of free time lately, and I can work on this story more. Anyway, we're finally getting back to our plotline here, so enjoy.**

**Chapter 18: Possessed Massacre**

He walked down the dark streets. Tsau was 24 years old now, and his assassin life has really been in the fast lane. Contracts were thrown at him left and right, and at times, he found himself completing more than five contracts for a day. The name he had given himself, the Reaper, has become almost a household name around these parts of Aswad. The poor venerated him, and the rich needed him, but they were fearful nonetheless. The rich could pay him money to go and kill someone, only to find that they themselves would be killed soon after. With a surprising demand of assassins, all rich people were nearly enemies to each other. Tsau kept his pace as he started his way down an alley, before he was met up with a group of three strangers; ones that he could have expected.

"Are you lost?" one of them asked. "Maybe I can help you, sir."

Tsau stayed quiet and did not speak to any of them.

"You must be an idiot. You look like a monk from one of those cathedrals. Even in this city, holy men are sinners," the seeming leader spoke. He took out a dagger from its sheath. "I'll need your money if you can pass through here. If you don't give me your money, I'll have to get rid of your fingers…one by one."

The man under the hood kept quiet and motionless, watching them carefully.

"Don't you hear me talking?!?" the leader asked. "Huh?!?"

At a split second, Tsau's foot shot up and kicked the dagger away, and at the same time, he drew his trigun. After the dagger was kicked away, Tsau shot the leader in the head, and then switched chambers and shot another man in the chest. The last man started running off in total fear, but fell when Tsau shot him in the back of the leg. He started crawling away out of the alley and into the street. The only visible lights were the torches and the apparent moonlight that shone over them.

Tsau walked up to the crawling man and knocked him over.

"No, please!" the man exclaimed. "I have a wife and child! I was just doing what I can to survive, please! Don't kill me!"

"Perhaps you can help me," Tsau said in a calm, deep tone.

The man realized that they tried to rob the wrong man tonight. "I'll tell you anything! Just let me go!"

"Where is the Manifest?" he asked. "I have a contract there."

"Contract…?!" the man reacted.

Tsau gripped his shirt. "Contract."

"Go past the alleyway and to the right. Go straight down the street, and an old man will be standing with a dog. There is another entrance on the top of the building! Please! Let me go!"

The newly installed wristblade sprung out from his wrist, causing the man to flinch.

"I thought you'd let me go!"

"Since when did I agree to that?" Tsau stated in that dark tone. "Sleep tight."

He shoved the wristblade into the man's chest, piercing the lungs. The man couldn't breathe, and his life slowly passed as Tsau cleaned the blade with his shirt.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The years haven't been polite," Will said. "There was a lot of cleaning up to do after Davy Jones left."

"And did you finish?" Elizabeth asked, sitting on the bed next to him.

He nodded, and stared straight forward. "Yes. 8 years…it felt more like 80. Every day seemed longer, harsher…and every day was another day away from you."

"But now you have returned," Elizabeth said, wrapping her arms around him. "Your father is quite the grandfather."

Will grinned slightly and held her in his arms. "Yes, he is. They'll spend lots of time together. When this is over, we shall return home, where we belong."

"Everything will be normal," she replied. "Hopefully."

"Do you think Jack is alright?" Will suddenly asked.

Elizabeth looked up. "Come to think of it, he's been a bit reserved lately."

"No, not that," Will said. "It's about him, and your friend…the assassin. Before our two ships parted, I saw something."

She listened intently. "What?"

"He was going to give Jack that black dagger," Will stated. "But instead, he kept it. The gesture was odd. It was as if your friend noticed something."

"Tsau?" Elizabeth asked. "What about him?"

He nodded. "I don't trust him. Nor do I trust Jack right now. They're a bit secretive. And that girl…"

"You can trust Zi," she told him. "I trust her. She seems a bit innocent…and naïve."

"It's been a few days," Will informed. "Maybe we can go check up on them…"

"But, you—"

"It's alright," he said. "I'll be fine. I won't stay long enough for the curse to return. It'll be just a few hours."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, that's it, then," Hassan said. "I have one more waiting for you if you're willing to take it."

Tsau stood in the room with his employer and Zi. "Details?"

"The last Death of Zhao," he said. "Goes by the name of the Psychosis. He seems to be able to control people's minds, along with wielding the power of telekinesis. This one won't be easy, Tsau."

"I'll do it," Tsau replied.

Hassan tilted his head in slight disbelief. "You'll do it? Look at you. You're in totally bad shape right now, Tsau. You are still suffering from your wounds, and you are lucky to have taken down that psychopath of a woman!"

"I didn't kill her," he said. "_She_ did."

Hassan looked over Tsau's shoulder towards Zi, then looked back. "Then why am I paying _you_?"

"Uh…because she's not a killer…" Tsau started. "…right?"

"Oh, it's alright," Zi said from behind. "It was Tsau's contract anyway…so…"

Hassan sighed and placed the money in his protégé's hand. "Now, are you positive you want to take up this last contract?"

"Without a doubt," Tsau firmly replied.

Hassan walked over to his desk and opened the long drawer, bringing up a wooden box that seemed to be a sword case. "Come here, Tsau. I have a gift for you."

Tsau walked over to the desk and watched Hassan open the case, which had a very nice saber encased in it. He held it up and gave it to him.

"Wow," Tsau acknowledged. "For me?"

His employer nodded. "Of course. It is not as heavy as your Japanese katana, nor is it as clumsy as other cutlasses. This one is specially made for you. The lightweight metal, the one handed usage…but with the cutting power and durability of your previous blade."

As Tsau held it in his hand, he could feel the perfect balance. The handle wasn't overly protected, but had enough to keep other blades from catching his hand. It was not curved all the way like other sabers, but was slightly curved towards the end like his katana was. This was the finest sword Tsau ever held, but will he live long enough to use it?

"Why?"

"You have exceeded everything I've dreamed of," Hassan stated, pacing around the room. "You weren't lying when you said you'd become the best assassin in the world."

"Yeah," Tsau said sarcastically. "It sure is glorious."

Hassan looked down. "I've never pushed the issue on to you, Tsau, but I guess I'll just say it. I think you should retire from this business."

"Well," he started, looking at him. "What else will I have to do? I mean, I'm not even in the type of age to quit working yet. I'm still fairly young. The demand for hired killers has skyrocketed ever since I started."

"Obviously it's hard for you to continue," Hassan replied to his statement. "I think you're hitting your limit, Tsau. Plus, with new law nowadays, the contract business is heading towards a recession."

Tsau shook his head and sighed, seemingly ignoring his words. "No, I think I'll be fine. Is your stash still around? I need to restock before we leave."

Hassan nodded. "Yeah, I moved it to the third floor. It's in the closet to the right."

Tsau walked up the stairs to the third floor, leaving the two alone. He seemed pretty busy now, which was the perfect time for Zi to talk to Hassan.

"He's stubborn," Zi said.

Hassan smiled while cleaning up the paperwork on his desk. "Tsau was never the type to listen. He's seems to give advice, but doesn't take it."

"I wouldn't hate him as a businesswoman," she commented. "He seems to be doing fairly well by himself."

"Perhaps _too_ well," he said, turning around. "But I can see what is happening to Tsau."

"Like?"

"It's not always anything obvious he's doing," Hassan said. "It's the subtle things that give it away. Tsau is losing himself. I can see this job taking him apart little by little, and as time goes on, the small damages become large wounds."

Zi smiled faintly. "Giving him a new toy isn't helping either."

"This world is a world of freedom. I am not Tsau's father, therefore, I cannot give him orders as one. I can only give him recommendations and advice as a friend. He can do as he pleases," Hassan explained.

"No," Zi refused. "You share similar faults, as well. You're letting him fall apart without helping him."

"—and _you_?" Hassan said with a smirk.

"I'm doing what I can."

He nodded with a sigh. "I am too old. The truth is, the contract business is not in recession. The demand for hitmen is higher than ever. Politicians gladly hire them to stab each other in the back; to eliminate competition. We just take out the trash."

Zi shook her head. "Contracts, contracts, contracts."

"This contract…" Tsau said from behind, seeming to have heard their small conversation. "…is a contract for everyone. There's a time and a place, a when and a where…and a how…and a why. Fidelity is irrelevant. Contracts exist…I'm there to execute them."

Hassan let out a sad smile. "As you can see, Tsau's friend…there is always a place in the world for people like him."

"Let's go," Tsau commanded. "The contract I am given is imperative to my agenda."

"Agenda?"

"That's right," Tsau said, finally realizing what he just said. "We have to…destroy the Necromortalis and stop the potential threat."

Zi nodded begrudgingly and headed with him downstairs towards the exit, leaving Altair Hassan alone to his office. While alone at his desk, about a good fifteen minutes passed. He was thinking a lot about his protégé, and how the future was going to be. This issue with the Dutchman was odd. The way he acted around that girl was different, too.

"Perhaps I can relieve him of the sudden light he's found," a voice spoke from the dark corner.

Hassan gave a piercing stare over to what he saw. A blindfolded samurai. His hair was tied in the ponytail fashion, and his face was moderately scarred.

"You," Hassan started, standing up. "The Psychosis."

The samurai smiled and walked forward. "That's right, Altair."

Hassan immediately stood up and drew his blade, causing Psychosis to draw his katana. "You know that it is too late to stop Tsau. If you kill me, you'll only drive him further."

"I enjoy a challenge," the Psychosis said.

"You don't understand," the Altair smiled subtly. "Tsau is more than a challenge. You should be glad that you're breathing."

Psychosis smiled again. "Last time I checked, that girl killed the Predatory."

"All he needs is one reason," Hassan said.

"And so do I."

The Psychosis lifted his hand up, and at the flick of a wrist, Hassan was blown backwards into his office. Hassan stood back up, but noticed the figure standing in front of Psychosis. The hooded, dark figure removed its hood that revealed its black eyes and undead face.

"Death is the only way out," it said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, this is where you found him?" Will asked. "Eh, this city suffers a rather increasing abundance of civilians. I can see why assassins exist."

Elizabeth chuckled. "The place should be down there a bit more."

She turned around to look at him, but noticed that he wasn't there. "Will? Where are you?"

She scanned the area a bit in slight confusion, but spotted him over at a merchant's setup. Hastily she walked over to him and stood right in front of him.

"Don't you just walk away like that!" she pouted. "That's rude!"

Will smiled softly and lightly pushed her out of the way. "The food here is quite exotic."

He reached over to some odd-looking food and started chewing on it, giving the merchant a coin of currency. Munching on the meaty appetizer, Will looked up a bit in a state of thought.

Elizabeth gave him a slightly disgusted look because of the food he ate. "Not quite devil's eggs, Will."

After swallowing, Will looked at the merchant. "What was that I just ate?"

The merchant smiled. "Best food all city. Private camel."

"Camel?" Will asked. He then looked at his wife with a smile. "I'm starting to like this city already. What part of the camel?"

"Private," the merchant said. "Private camel. Private…eh…testi…testicles."

Will's sudden smile turned into a frown upon hearing the merchant's words. He swallowed nervously. "Testicles?"

"Ah," the merchant nodded. "Camel, no private. You eat. Eunuch camel now."

A nauseated face appeared on Will as he had a hand over his mouth. Elizabeth began to laugh out loud.

"Eunuch?" she said while laughing. "I'm sure you can relate, Will."

Will, at the point of throwing up, regained his stomach. "That was sickening."

"Exotic," she stated, heading back in the direction of the Gilded Fountain.

Her husband looked at the smiling merchant and shook his head. "That was a dirty trick."

"You like?" the merchant asked.

"No, of course not," Will stated firmly, walking away.

Elizabeth giggled as he caught up with her. "You should've seen your face."

"There was no dignity in that moment," Will replied. "You won't see that happen often…almost."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry. That was cute."

He blushed from her words and looked away.

As they reached the small plaza, Elizabeth directed Will towards the Gilded Fountain, where they watched as a dark figure wrapped in robes walk away from the entrance. The subtle sense of suspicion gave Elizabeth a second feel for that moment.

"Hmm," she reacted.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. Let's go."

As they walked up to the entrance, they also noticed that there was no one guarding the door, nor was there any sound or racket from the inside. Will edged the door open just a slight bit to see the inside. As his eyes dilated to adjust to the dark, close-blinded room, he watched in horror as dead bodies scattered around the room, sucked dry of their life. Their skin was shriveled up like raisins, and their eyes were torn out, nowhere to be found.

Elizabeth had her hand over her mouth and turned away. "What happened here?"

Will opened the door a little bit more so that he and Elizabeth can sneak inside. The only bodes that weren't drained, oddly, were the ones in white coats. Elizabeth guessed that those were more assassins, because the attire they wore was almost identical to Tsau's. Blood was splattered indiscriminately in the room, and blood only came from those dead Falcons that were equally numbered with civilians in the bar. Will inspected the scene, and noticed a similarity in wound patterns.

"Odd…" he said. "Are these the assassins? They are dressed like Tsau."

Elizabeth looked around. "Yes. They must be. What's so odd, then? They were fighting someone…I think…"

Will shook his head. "No."

"And…your explanation?"

He walked over to a few dead assassins. "These wound patterns can only be done with a scimitar or rapier. The only ones that wield rapiers here are these assassins."

Elizabeth looked at him oddly. "So…what are you saying?"

Will looked back down. "These assassins attacked each other."

"What?!" she asked bewilderedly. "How?!"

He shook his head. "I don't know. The blood seems fairly fresh…I'd say a good 15-30 minutes ago that this happened. And…I suppose you can explain the drained, dead bodies?"

Elizabeth looked down at a victim. "…Necromortalis. It has to be…they look exactly like the undead soldiers."

"Undead?" Will asked. "I was attacked by one of those things."

"So were we," she stated. "Prior to meeting up with you."

Will's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never brought it up," she replied.

Shrugging regrettably, Will noticed the difference in the way the people were killed. "Why would these people here be drained…and _these_ people be killed? I don't understand. If the Necromortalis was here…then all of them should've been drained."

"Unless someone else was here, too," Elizabeth said.

Will rubbed his forehead in thought. "Hmm. Maybe Tsau would know. Hell, maybe even Jack, but none of them are here."

"We should check upstairs for Muhammad Hassan," Elizabeth said.

"Who?"

"Altair Muhammad Hassan," she initiated. "Former Pirate Lord of the Persian Gulf, and leader of the Order of the White Falcon, which is the name of Tsau's employer. He's the only one who might have a clue where Tsau lives."

He nodded. "Let's go upstairs, then."

Drawing his blade and gun, Will signaled for Elizabeth to follow him upstairs, where the dead bodies led to. Causing little or no noise, they successfully made it, and opened the door to Hassan's office. Inside, they spotted Hassan's undrained body, and the man that held it in his arms. Hassan had several impaling wounds in his chest, as if someone repeatedly stabbed him, and possibly enjoyed the process of it. The man's image was faint due to the lack of lighting in the room.

"Tsau?" Elizabeth asked.

The man in the white hood stood up and set Hassan's body down. He drew his blade as if prepared for a fight. "No, I'm someone else."

"What happened here?" Will asked. "What happened to your leader?"

"You're a Falcon, aren't you?" Elizabeth asked next.

The man began breathing hard, almost maniacally. "No…I didn't do it…I didn't want to…he made me…I tried…"

Will cautiously approached. "Easy there. No one is here to fight you. What happened here?"

"I don't like you being here…" the Falcon said in a whisper. "You should leave before—"

The man suddenly felt a rush of headache, and a piercing noise rattled his eardrums, causing him to grunt with pain. He let out a grisly scream, then was back into a relaxed state.

"A-Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked.

He looked up and stood up straight. "I-I'm just fine. Do you like to hear the screams of death?"

"Was the Necromortalis here?" Will asked, ignoring his question.

The man uneasily laughed. His voice seemed to have an eerie tone, as if something had possessed him. "No…not the Necro…you are all too scared. I was here, you fools. I did this!"

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

The Falcon laughed again, maniacally. He swiftly drew his dagger, causing Will and Elizabeth to ready themselves for a fight. "Are you scared, younglings…? I do not wish to take your lives…yet. I want you to watch me take my own!"

Almost immediately, he shoved the dagger into his gut, groaning with pain that thinned out to somewhat a groan of pleasure. Will and Elizabeth watched horribly as he began to stab himself numerous times.

"Don't do that!" Elizabeth shouted. "Are you mad?!?"

The man looked up with a growl and spit out blood. "Mad?!? No, of course not! I am a Falcon! I'd like you to see me fly!"

He went over to the windows and opened them, leaping out blindly as far as he could. Observing with much fright, they watched helplessly as he fell all the way to the ground, killing himself. Whatever happened here was truly horrific, and more questions popped up in Elizabeth's mind. They had to find Tsau, quick, before they, themselves, become another chapter in this ghoulish experience.

**If you haven't noticed yet, the plot is indeed thickening. Please ask any questions that you have (except for spoilers, of course) if you don't have a clear understanding of the storyline. Thanks for the reviews and hits. I'll bring 19 up soon.**


	19. Escape to the Dutchman

**The plot is gradually getting towards a tipping point, guys, so read carefully, and tell me if you don't understand something. Anyway, here's Chapter 19, guys. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 19: Escape to the Dutchman**

"So, you finished the job, I presume?" Hassan asked Tsau.

Tsau nodded and paced on the rooftops under the midnight sky. "I made a visit to the Manifest. I had to wait until he came out of the building to get him."

"Good," Hassan nodded. "Our client is giving us a few more contracts involving this Manifest. He wants us to finish off the rest of these, 'servants' here."

He handed Tsau the rest of the papers. "Is the money any good?"

"The client is handsomely paying us more than our regular clients do," Hassan replied. "He seems to take a liking into your style, Reaper."

"That's me," Tsau acknowledged.

"The city watch is definitely on the look for you," his Altair said. "The poor love you, and the rich need you."

Tsau let out a scoff under his hood. "If they were looking for me, then why haven't they put up any posters, or even found me yet?"

"There's a reason why the Falcons dress the same, Tsau," Hassan said. "They only know you as a shadow. A meaning. You spill blood, and if you leave your insignia, it strikes fear into the wicked. They don't know what you really look like. They only know that you are a White Falcon, and they won't dare to touch us, because they need us. The Reaper is more than just a person, Tsau. The Reaper is a symbol. A truth."

The former protégé nodded. "Well spoken. Of course, the White Falcons will take any contracts, even from the law."

Hassan nodded. "Well, good work. Here's your cut."

He handed Tsau his money. "This is an awful lot for a hit on someone who isn't that important. I mean, the Manifest, from what I've seen, is just some crazy religious cult, anyway."

"Surprisingly," Hassan replied. "I had our client followed. He's in with a behind-the-scenes government of some sorts."

"Conspiracy?"

"I don't know. You better get on to your contract soon, Tsau," Hassan said. "Our client has entrusted his money to us completely to execute these contracts."

"I'll start tomorrow."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zi stood outside in the training area of Tsau's home, waiting for him to initiate their retreat back towards the ship. She examined the training gear of his, and they seemed to be quite worn out due to constant training. Tsau's way of life sure seemed a bit boring compared to that of a pirate's. The rough scratches on leather, the worn down wood on the dummy, and of course, the splintered wooden board from his shuriken and darts. Walking over to a chest-high counter, she picked up a gun similar to the one Tsau had, with three chambers in it. The gun was obviously custom-made, an odd attempt at having a faster rate of fire. In the battles of today, it would take at least 30 seconds of reloading to kill a person. 30 seconds to kill.

"And Tsau only needs 5," she guessed.

"What was that?" Tsau said from inside his room.

She noticed that the door was still open and blushed. "Um, nothing!"

He stepped out of his room and carried his bag along with him. "You like that gun?"

Zi set the weapon down. "Um, not really. It's just—"

"Odd?" he said. Tsau walked over to her and picked up the gun. "Ramadi and I designed it together."

"Really?" she smiled subtly. Zi was careful, and nervous to talk to him, after hearing the way he talked to her earlier this morning. "That's…quite a bizarre design."

"Yeah," Tsau sighed. "But it's our best attempt to make a quicker pistol. You know how to use it?"

She shrugged. "I saw _you_ use it. I think I know."

Tsau held up the gun away from them and showed her how to use it, pulling the trigger and yanking the gun to the side, reloading it. "It's all at the jerk of your wrist. As soon as you jerk, the new chamber is ready, and the hammer cocks back, ready to fire. Here, why don't you keep that one? It might come in handy."

"I'd rather use a sword," she said in preference. "It's more graceful than a gun."

"True," Tsau said. "But a gun is surprising."

"So is a shuriken," she said. "But…as a pirate, I can't step down from such a deal. It seems quite easy."

Tsau smirked and handed the gun to her. A moment passed between them as Zi examined the gun. The barrels weren't as long as Tsau's, but were a normal pistol length. Tsau's barrels were half a gun barrel longer than a regular gun.

"You're welcome," Tsau said to her, walking back inside.

"Um, thank you," she said in delay.

Right as Tsau was about to step back into his room to pack, the door on the other side of the courtyard opened, and Ramadi ran towards them, seemingly tired from running.

"Ramadi!" Zi exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Ramadi looked around. "Sorry, Zi. Where's Tsau?"

"What is it?" Tsau asked, stepping out again.

His colleague took a moment to gain breaths. "The Order. Everyone's dead."

Without remorse or grief, Tsau simply stood there. "How?"

"I didn't stay long," he replied. "I heard about Hassan being attacked, but I was at the brothel—I mean…I was reading…yeah…reading…the Bible."

"You're not Christian, idiot," Tsau said blatantly. "Keep going."

"Then, everyone headed towards the Fountain," Ramadi explained. "I didn't go. It seemed fishy. But, when I got there, everyone was dead."

"How?"

"I told you, I didn't stay long," Ramadi said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will and Elizabeth walked down the streets, away from the Gilded Fountain, in a desperate search for Tsau. As high noon struck above them, the streets were busier than ever, but just as they thought they would never see a sign, Elizabeth spotted a group of soldiers headed towards a direction. They were British soldiers, probably part of the East India Trading Company, which still seemed to be on the rise once again. With Zhao's troops after them and Blackwell at the helm of the Trading Company, it will be hard to come out victorious, for they are almost against all odds.

"Will, there," she said calmly, trying not to attract attention. "The soldiers."

"Let's follow," Will replied.

They tailed the soldiers down the busy street, following them until they reached a church. The church was fairly large, but the two wondered what soldiers would be doing in a holy area such as this. Maybe they were following that mysterious person that Will and Elizabeth saw leaving the vicinity of the Gilded Fountain. They opened the doors and rushed inside, yelling for every churchgoer to stay low on the ground so they can inspect the area. The father willingly agreed.

"There shall be no violence in this house," he said. "Please."

"Shut up, you!" a soldier replied. "You two stay here and guard downstairs. The rest of the men, including me, are heading upstairs."

Will and Elizabeth stayed outside the church and waited to see what will happen.

The six soldiers rushed upstairs towards the bell, and noticed a secret door that must lead to the other attic in the church, for the church was long in shape.

"All I know is that Aswad is no longer safe," Ramadi explained to Tsau. "We should get going befor—"

Right as he spoke, the door was kicked open and the soldiers quickly assembled into a firing squad, straight in a line. Tsau pulled his hood over to hide his face and was quite relieved that he had already equipped his weapons. Ramadi walked over and stood next to him, in front of Zi.

"You three! You're under arrest!" the squad captain shouted from across the courtyard. "This is a home invasion! Do not resist, or we will fire!"

The troops slowly edged closer to Tsau, Ramadi, and Zi.

"On my signal," Tsau started off quietly. "I am going overboard. Zi, you should get that tied rope and head down. Don't allow them one moment to get at you. Ramadi?"

"I'll lead them somewhere," he said. "Good luck, you two."

"No, you should come with us," Zi insisted. "It's not safe here, anymore."

Ramadi smiled. "I'll be fine."

Tsau looked down and waited for them to come closer, enough for them to be knocked over.

"Frisk them for weapons."

As Zi's heart raced to see what would happen, Tsau and Ramadi, in lighting fast motions, knocked away their guns and stunned their bodies with sharp hand-to-hand attacks. At that moment, she sped towards the rope that was coiled up on the ground and tied to the ledge at the corner of the courtyard. In a quick manner, she scaled up the small wall and stood up there, ready to begin rappelling down.

Tsau broke for the ledge, as well, but noticed that the captain was about to shoot Zi. He stopped for a moment and drew his trigun, pulling the trigger after a quick aim at him. The bullet hit the captain in the chest and he fell back. Tsau gave Zi a short look before she went down. As she was rappelling, she noticed that the rope was too short, and was left hanging on the end of the rope halfway down the church.

"Tsau!" she yelled. "It's too short! I can't hang on much longer!"

Tsau quickly jumped off the ledge and back into the courtyard.

"Go," Ramadi said, headed towards the other way. "I got these guys."

Hastily, Tsau grabbed a longer coil of rope and tied it to the middle ledge, and with all of his speed, he headed towards the opposite side of Zi, leaping up the ledge and heading down. Past Zi, he could see a hay wagon tied up and unattended. With his momentum, his swing arc fell smoothly, and as Tsau was at the tip of the arc next to Zi, he let go and flew into her, taking her along with him on the way down. Miraculously, they fell into the pile of hay, on top of one another.

Zi, while on top of Tsau, was about to get up, but Tsau pulled her back down to hide. "Don't look up. Wait until they're gone."

She remained on top of them. "Well…this is…um…awkward."

"I think I'm rather comfortable here," Tsau said teasingly.

Blushing, Zi lightly slapped him on the chest. "Shh! Be quiet! They might find us!"

Ramadi sprinted towards the way the guards came in, along with a few guards following him. Downstairs, the church had no one left in it, except for the two guards, who seemed to have taken different frames. He leaped down the sets of stairs and began heading outside, until he was shot in the back by one of his pursuers. The two guards looked over.

"Is that Tsau?" Elizabeth asked in her guard disguise.

Will shrugged. "I don't know."

As the guards surrounded the fallen Falcon, Will began shouting at them to catch their attention. They immediately looked over just long enough for Ramadi to stand once again. He drew his blade wearily and hacked away at the small set of guards, killing all but one. The last one, he popped out his wristblade and finished him off.

"Tsau, are you okay?!" Elizabeth yelled from across the church.

Ramadi looked over. "I'm not Tsau."

They watched as he stumbled over and sat down on the bench. Will and Elizabeth began sprinting over to him to check up on him. Ramadi removed his hood and took off his jacket to inspect his bullet wound that looked like it went almost safely through his body. He was, however, bleeding quite a bit. He breathed for a few moments before Will and Elizabeth ran over towards him.

"Who are you?" he asked, keeping his eyes forward towards the statue of Christ.

"We're his friends," Elizabeth claimed.

Ramadi let out a smile. "Tsau doesn't have 'friends.' He'd rather call you 'colleagues' than friends."

"You don't look too good," Will stated.

He smirked. "How obvious."

When the guards disappeared, Tsau and Zi got out of the haystack and brushed themselves clean. The people around them didn't seem to mind, for they owed a lot to the White Falcons. Coughing a bit from the dust, Tsau gestured to the front of the church.

"This way," he said.

As soon as Tsau headed towards those doors, he spotted two guards helping Ramadi down the street. Instinctively, he pulled his trigun out and pointed at them.

Zi lowered his gun. "No…that's Will and Elizabeth."  
Tsau reset the gun hammer and put his gun back. He started walking towards them. "Come on."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The messenger entered Zhao's office on board his ship docked at the governor's private port in Port Royal. Zhao, reading a book of philosophy with his glasses on, set it down and looked up at his messenger.

"Is he taken care of?" Zhao asked.

The messenger looked down discouragingly. "The Atrocity and Predatory are dead. Tsau has taken both of them."

Zhao took off his glasses and set them down. "So…if he can kill both, then he has indeed been learning. Quite the experienced one, he is."

"And you know why Tsau was chosen, then," a voice said while entering the room. The rebel leader set his eyes on Drak Nesirus, who walked in the room. Nesirus ran his hands through his slicked back brownish-blonde haircut. "It's only a matter of time before he gets to us. Don't underestimate him."

"He was my weakest disciple," Zhao said. "That gives me a right to do so."

"Haven't I told you why I exist already?" Nesirus said in rebuttal. He then turned to the messenger. "Find him, and kill him. Do whatever it takes. The Executives cannot triumph over us. They're the real enemy here, not just your empire."

Zhao nodded. "Fine. No more toying around. The Psychosis will be the hardest to fight against."

"And if your last man fails?" Drak asked.

"We always have Jack to do our bidding," Zhao added.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They hurried to the docks, for Ramadi was bleeding heavily, and he was almost completely blacked out. Tsau and Will helped him walk along the way, and started up the wood planks. Will helped Ramadi down into the ship so they could heal him up. Zi and Elizabeth followed, too, but Tsau stayed outside, watching his surroundings. He looked at Aswad as if it was the last time he'll ever see it. Has the Order really fallen? How did the White Falcons disappear so easily? If Hassan was really dead, then what does Tsau have anymore?

He stared down in silence, listening to the environment around him, the sound of seagulls, water crashing the docks, merchants, sailors, and fisherman alike going about their business. The subtle wind could be heard, as well, and the sound of young Bill playing around the ship.

"Excuse me, sir," the boy said to him. Tsau snapped out of his thought and looked down at Bill. "You spoke to me once about contracts. What is the meaning of it? Is it just a paper that you sign?"

Tsau looked down at the boy and took off his hood. "How old are you, young Turner?"

"I'm 8 years of age," Bill answered. "I'm turning 9 in a few weeks. You didn't answer my question, Mr. Tsau. Me mum tells me to stay away from you, but then again, my father is a pirate."

The Falcon had a subtle smirk. "She's right. People like me are bad."

"Please explain what a contract is," Bill requested. "What it means."

Tsau sighed and looked out towards two dockworkers in their ship. "You see those two men over there?" he said, pointing to two men who were slacking. They seemed to be messing around with a few women from the brothel.

Bill nodded. "Yes."

"They're disgusting," Tsau stated. "Just two foolish pigs that would make easy targets. Nevertheless, when I sign a contract to kill them, I am paid half of what the agreement price is. Then, when I finish, I get the other half. I will stop at nothing to take their lives for that contract. And that's all there is to it. The hard part is getting away with it."

"And how would you kill them?" Bill asked.

Tsau looked around, then at the nearby ship that docked. "You see that ship? There is a set of provisions being lifted up from a net. Some of those provisions include barrels and such."

Bill watched as the net was being lifted up.

"That net looks a bit unstable," Tsau said. "It keeps rocking back and forth due to the wind. Just watch. It rocks back and forth, just far enough to reach those two lazy dockworkers. With this shuriken, I'd hurl it at the rope holding the net up when the timing is right, and it'll crush them. Mission accomplished."

"How do you know all this?" Bill asked with interest.

"I've been doing this for 8 years," Tsau answered. "There's no reason why I shouldn't. All of it is adaptation. Be resourceful, and use what you can. The environment is your friend…at your disposal. Adapt, change, and improvise according to your surroundings. This is what's most important if you're planning to survive in battle…and in this business."

"Sounds very intriguing," the young Turner replied.

Tsau shrugged. "I don't recommend taking this path to life."

"Why is that?"

"You'll meet lots of people," Tsau said. "And clients. You can't trust anyone."

Bill kept his eyes focused on the assassin. "But you can't trust pirates either."

"Not all pirates want to kill each other," Tsau alleged. "People like Jack and your father just want to be pirates for the sake of piracy."

"And assassins kill each other?" Bill asked.

He nodded. "All the time. It's a cruel world, one that you don't want to be a part of."

"Then why do you do it?"

"I'm good at it," Tsau said simply. "And when you're good at something, you use it to your advantage. Taking lives is a burden, kid. Stay free."

Bill nodded silently. "Um, okay."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Second of the Third," the younger Tsau read from the pendant. "What the hell does this mean?"

Hassan looked at the pendant with his glasses on. "There're some words written in Arabic here. It says Angel of Death."

"Angel of Death?" Tsau repeated. "Hmm. Either way, I got that one done. You said there were two more contracts?"

His employer nodded. "I wonder what Second of the Third means. I thought there were four targets. Is this the second of the three?"

Tsau shook his head. "My first contract you gave me…the man had the title 'Fourth of the Third' on his pendant around his neck. Third has to mean something else."

The Altair set down the pendant. "Hmm. It's quite odd, then. Our client must be quite concerned about this small cult, then. The Manifest. Manifest of _what_, though? The targets and members seemed to be of all religions. Christianity, Islam, Judaism…all of the above. What are they worshipping? They are dressed in odd robes, too."

The Reaper shrugged. "As long as we're getting paid, right?"

Hassan chuckled. "It's all about money with you, huh? Anyway, our client is on to something here. I had him followed again. He's involved with a group called 'The Executives' or something."  
"Executives," Tsau said. "The behind-the-scenes government you spoke of?"

Hassan nodded. "Yes."

"Well," Tsau spoke. "As long as it has nothing to do with us, then we're fine. What importance does the Manifest serve, anyway?"

**Well, there's Chapter 19, guys. Hope you liked it, and please try to leave a review before leaving! I'll be back with 20 soon.**


	20. Hints of Remorse

**Hey, I decided to write two chapters to make a huge update for y'all. You can write individual reviews, or make one review for the two chapters. Heh, well hope you guys enjoy.**

**...And here's Chapter 20, guys. Err, I took time in this chapter to elaborate on Tsau and Zi's relationship a lot more, and as a hint...they're taking a step up. Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 20: Hints of Remorse**

Tsau walked down the dark alleyways the next night, searching for his last target of the Manifest. He had already taken care of the third one earlier this morning, getting him with a shuriken while he opened his doors. The Falcon crept up on the rooftops, and waited on the building across from the Manifest headquarters. They were conspiring something in there, and whoever Tsau's client was didn't want it to happen, but these people didn't seem like much of a threat. Whatever it was, Tsau was being paid, and the people who wanted this "Manifest" dead were lucky to have chosen him.

Observing carefully, there was a man at the front, sitting on a bench and sleeping. He was probably a homeless beggar, but every time Tsau came by, he was standing there. If the Manifest was helping this homeless man, then they must be quite benevolent. Tsau watched again as a robed person walked out the front door, and the woman that let her out seemed to tell her to be careful before she shut the door. He wondered why most people in this city were stupid enough to walk by themselves under the midnight moon. Nevertheless, he followed her while on the rooftops. As she walked down the alleyway, Tsau shook his head. What a stupid person he or she must've been.

Experimenting, Tsau picked up a rock and tossed it towards the wall nearby, causing the person to turn around. Judging by the gasp they let out, Tsau guessed that the person was a female. She had to be well equipped if she was walking down the alleyway. Tsau stealthily followed her and waited for the right moment to pounce. Well, this _was_ an alleyway, the perfect scene to make a murder. As he was about to pounce on her, she turned around and spotted him up on the rooftops. Tsau's jump wasn't complete and he landed in the ground in front of her. Thanks to her sudden awareness, her death will now be harsh and brutal, instead of quick and easy. Tsau didn't want it to be this way, but he adapted, and swiftly went up to her and grasped her by the neck.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ramadi was still healing up after a few days. The road home was going to take another few days, because the Dutchman was quite fast. Zi walked out from the room that held Ramadi, and noticed Tsau leaning against the wall on the way out, but only gave him a subtly sweet smile, walking away. Tsau watched her walk away, and the way she walked was odd, as if she was happy or excited about something.

"She's waitin' for you, mate," Bootstrap said from behind while mopping the floor. Ramadi's room was below deck, and the only sense of sight came from the brightness that the afternoon light gave.

Tsau looked at him. "Excuse me?"

"I said she's waitin' for yeh," he repeated in his gruff voice. "By the way she moves and such, and the way she looked at'cha. I know when a woman is in love."

"But can the man return it?" Tsau asked, looking forward.

Bootstrap smiled. "That's up for you to decide, lad. A man like ye seems a tad bit too busy to go on an' be havin' love affairs."

"Then I have my answer," Tsau said, walking up to the top deck.

The old man smiled as Tsau walked up the stairs. "But you always have a choice," he mumbled.

Tsau walked up and followed Zi, who went and leaned on the shipside, staring out to sea. She looked troubled, but Tsau didn't know why he suddenly cared about her feelings. He didn't understand why he was troubled because she was.

"Tsau…" she said, still looking out to sea. She sounded like she wanted to say something important, but couldn't quite say it. "I…I'm sorry about Hassan. I know that he was important to you."

"He was the closest thing to my father," Tsau stated. "But I prepared myself for this day. I knew it was coming, and I've no remorse."

"Doesn't his death make you angry at these people?" she asked curiously. Zi turned around to him and looked at him. "Punishing the ones who killed him is all you should think about. Justice, Tsau."

"The day you bring your morals to work is the day you don't come home," Tsau said.

"But you have no morals," she said in slight joke with a smile.

"Exactly," he said. "That's why I'll always come home."

She bit her lip to his response. Before she could speak to him, Will and Elizabeth both approached him.

"Tsau, I think there's something you'd to know about what happened to your Order," Will said to him.

Tsau turned to them and shrugged. "What can you tell me?"

"Well, your friend told you that everyone was dead," he started.

"Yeah, and?"

Will looked down. "There was no trace of any outside force that killed the members of your Order. I inspected the wounds. They killed each other."

Tsau raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What the…"

"The customers in there were drained," Elizabeth said. "It had to be—"

"The Necromortalis," Tsau said, cutting her off. "I've seen that happen too many times…and the Falcons. If they killed themselves…"

"Hey, Tsau," Zi said. They all turned to her. "Wasn't that guy you signed up to kill psychic or something? The Psychic or something…"

"Psychosis," Tsau corrected. "The last of Zhao's Deaths. He had psychic and mind-controlling powers. He probably went after Hassan..."

Will scratched his head in thought. "Zhao's Deaths…the ones he spoke of when they took the chest from us. If the Deaths work for Zhao, and Zhao works with Blackwell, then why would the Necromortalis be at the same spot?"

"Maybe the two events happened at different times," Elizabeth said. "That hooded figure leaving the Gilded Fountain must have been it. He was dressed in all black."

The captain shook his head. "No, no. The wounds were fresh, as if they happened minutes ago. One Falcon was still alive…and he killed himself."  
"The Psychosis must've been still present," Tsau stated. "All of the Falcons are hard-trained and mentally and emotionally durable."

"Wait," Elizabeth stopped. "There were three Deaths, right? What happened to the second one?"

Tsau looked away and pointed at Zi. "She did it."

Zi looked at him with an open mouth and shoved him. "Shut up!"

"Hey, come on, now. No need to be rough," Tsau replied.

"Anyway," Elizabeth said, getting back on topic. "When we meet up with Jack, what will be the plan?"

"Jack better have that chest," Will said. "My heart's in that chest."  
"No," his wife said. "We have it. It's in my room."

"What?!?" he exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?!?"

She shrugged. "You never asked."

He rolled his eyes. "This situation is oddly familiar."

"He's coming here," Tsau said. "The Psychosis is after _me_. Keep a watchful eye. If your eyes are sharp, your blade will be sharper."

As soon as Tsau left back down to the deck, everyone split up and got back to their duties.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You don't understand what you're doing! Everything in the world hangs in the balance! Please let me go! I'm still very young, please, sir, please!" the woman begged as Tsau threw her against the wall. The force was so strong that she could hear one of her ribs give out a sickening crackle on impact. The beating had gone on for about a minute now, and he was sure that he had already broken a few bones with his hand-to-hand attacks. She just wouldn't accept a quick death.

"I don't care what you think," Tsau said coldly. He popped the blade from his wrist out.

Right as Tsau was about to stab her, she quickly, but barely gouged him in the eye, causing him to be temporarily blind. The robed woman ran down the alleyway at midnight, nearly drowned in fear. The cold, chilling presence of the assassin that followed her was gaining on her. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she could barely see where she was headed. After another second or two of running, she finally turned around to see if he was actually following her. He was gone, but why so easily? The young lady knew that he could still be on her tail, so she decided to make a turn to the right, and just as she turned so her back was exposed to the left side, the faint whistle of a soaring arrow was the last sound she'll ever hear. The arrow pierced her in the back, and straight through her spine, piercing her heart.

Tsau put his crossbow away and stood up from his crouching position up on the rooftops. He hopped down quickly and checked on her body to get that servant's pendant. Right as he turned her over and held her in his arms, he took a hard gaze at her face. She looked only a few years younger than he did, and very beautiful. The quiet of the night completely froze the moment in time as Tsau had her in his arms, watching her dead body, knowing that the spirit of this person can no longer be restored. She had a lot to accomplish in life, and why she picked this road was beyond Tsau. This was only a kid. As an emotional wave was about to hit him, Tsau fortified his mind and let go of the moment, telling himself not to care for his targets. This was his job, and he has to see it through.

_The day you bring your morals to work is the day you don't come home._

He quickly removed the pendant from her neck and carefully removed the arrow so that it wouldn't insult her parents when they find her. Tsau reached into his coat and pulled out a feather, representing the freedom that a Falcon had, put it in her hand, and rested her hands on her chest. Lastly, Tsau carefully set her on flat ground and kissed her lightly on the forehead, and spoke in a soft prayer. Another moment passed.

"May your soul rest in peace," he whispered last.

He stood up and walked away, back to his house above Father Demetrius's church. Along the way, he wondered about the targets he was given. The current targets of the Manifest seemed to be all innocent people, and Tsau was almost never given any innocent targets. He didn't enjoy taking the lives of innocents, for they are not supposed to die. But then again, if there was one thing he learned from this city, it's that no one is innocent. No one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau almost woke with a yell in the middle of the night, sweaty, but cold; the chill of that flashback gave him horrible thoughts. Just another nightmare. He could remember almost every detail of her face, from her beautiful skin, to those hazel eyes. Sitting up on his bed, Tsau couldn't handle these thoughts much longer. His eyes almost watered up, but he kept strong and fought the tears. Breathing heavily, Tsau tried to regulate his body and calm down. The road will soon end. A knock on the door almost startled him as it broke his train of thought.

"Tsau?" a voice said from behind the door. "It's Izzi. Are you okay? I thought I heard you."

He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He was going to tell her that everything was fine, but honestly, he wanted someone to talk to. Someone who was going to listen, and Zi was that person.

"Come in, come in," he said.

She opened the door just slightly. "You're not naked, are you?"

"Would you like to see me?" he said jokingly, but his chuckle immediately died. "No, I'm not. Come in, please."

Zi came in dressed in her pajamas and shut the door. Tsau quickly lit up a candle that illuminated the room. "It's pretty cold tonight, don't you think?"

She sat down next to him and looked at him in the eye. Tsau had a light smile on his face. "Yeah, pretty cold."

"Hmm?" she noticed a look in his eye. "What's wrong?"

Tsau immediately noticed that she detected that look he had. "Oh, what? Um…"

"Something's gotta be wrong," she said. "Letting me in the door in the first place isn't quite the Tsau that I've seen the past few weeks. What happened? You look like you saw a ghost or something."

"Just a nightmare," he said. "I just…had a…nightmare."

She sat up on the bed and embraced her knees. "Tell me."

"Uh," Tsau started, looking down. "Okay. There was a contract one night I had. I am standing on a rooftop, watching the building that neighbored it. Um, I see this person walk out, who's definitely my target, so I stay on the rooftops, following the target down the street and into an alleyway. I found out that my target is a woman, who is venturing in the middle of the night and into the darkest corridors."

"And…?"

"And so I'm ready to pounce on her and make the death as quick as possible so that she can't feel it," he explained in detail. "As soon as I'm about to jump, she sees me, and I land right in front of her. The lady pulls out a knife, and I smack it away from her, and start countering every attack she throws at me. Eventually I fracture her arm and toss her against the wall, breaking one of her ribs. She gouges me in the eye luckily and starts running out into the street and down it. I get up and scale up the building again, waiting on the rooftops. She, not suspecting me, finally turns around after she gets fatigued and looks for me, down the streets and up on the rooftops."

Zi raised an eyebrow and took the situation fairly lightly. "She got away, didn't she? Is this about a failed contract?"

He shook his head. "I watch as she is observing her surroundings and I load my crossbow that I once had. As she turns her back against me while I still wait, she starts walking down the other street, and I shoot her with the crossbow, killing her instantly. Quickly, I run up to her lifeless body and inspect it. I turn her up and hold her in my arms. She's just a young lady, about 19 or 20 years of age. I look at her for a moment, and she looks absolutely beautiful under the moonlight…completely gorgeous. I take another moment to look at her, and I feel like I'm losing myself. Everything around me is frozen, and my hearing is blocked out by silence. Before I fall apart, I repressed the remorse and sorrow, and removed the arrow from her body. I put a Falcon feather into her hands and kiss her on the forehead, speaking a prayer to her ears. I stand up, and move on. The young lady is just another memory…another horrible chimera from my past."

Zi watched him as he began breaking apart, almost feeling sorry for his heartless soul. "Does this happen with every life you take?"

He nodded, and kept his head down for another few moments. "I see them in my dreams. I see their faces…I hear their voices…I see their families growing up without them…I see myself killing them…I see a demon. I know their faces, but not their names. I know that…I…can never forgive myself. I'm praying, Izzi. Everyday I pray that I'm forgiven. That's why I live with Father Demetrius. And the more I kill, the more I lose myself each time…and I did kill… above anything else, I just want to live knowing that I can redeem myself, but I find it hard to stay away from this life."

She couldn't speak. He was completely spilling himself to her, giving her almost everything he had to give. Zi saw a man that was completely lost now, someone who is no one. "Tsau, I…"

"You don't have to say anything," he said. "I just wanted someone to listen. The world's a lonely place, that's all."

"Your vulnerability is scaring me, Tsau," she said with a nervous smile. "I've had a bad dream, too, a few nights ago."

Tsau gave her an almost caring smile. "I'm here to listen."

"Well, it's not really a dream per se," she started. "I lied to you about something, Tsau. My parents…well…they're no longer alive."

"What happened?"

"They were taken from me right after you left," she said. "I wanted to visit my friend one night, because we were going to go on a pirate run together. She was my best friend, too. So, before I left, I stole my father's pistol, the one that he always used. We went out, caused mischief, and had some fun. On the way back home, I stopped at my house, and heard a bunch of screaming coming in from the doors. It had to be my mother. I also heard the voice of the pirate that visited my father often, and was probably my dad's former captain or something. When I went inside, it was too late. My father was shot, and my mother was taken away, probably sold to a brothel to be a prostitute. The odd thing is, I could hear my father shuffling through the cabinet that had his gun in it. The very same one I took his gun out of. And he got shot because of me."

Zi had a tear roll down her cheek. Tsau shook his head. "No. His death was his fault, and his fault only. He was in business with pirates. He ended his business with pirates, therefore, pirates came to kill him. There's no reason why you should blame yourself."

She looked at him and smiled gently. "It's been a long time since I took a hard look at the past. I ended up joining the Pearl a year or two later. I wanted to look for that man, but Jack insisted not to. He told me that, 'in order to make a future, you must leave the past,' and I took his word for it. I never looked back until now."

"What did he look like?" Tsau asked.

"The man was about your height, with a braided beard and a queue," she described. "He had this scar on his cheek that formed a Z."

Tsau thought for a hard moment. "Hmm. Oh, that guy. He's dead."

She sniffled and wiped the tears away. "What? You killed him?"

"Uh…about 4 years ago, I think," Tsau said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hassan said that there was a Chinese ship in town, and someone wanted him dead for the murder of their daughter or something. Talk about karma, huh?"

Zi let out a laugh, and noticed that he laughed along with her. She had to admit, she was getting a lot more comfortable around him, and he seemed more approachable than usual. Maybe she can save him from falling. Maybe she can change Tsau for the better. But, she couldn't think about changing him. Zi was falling for him. It is definitely hard, because at times Tsau is very hard-edged and cold, but at times like these, he's heartfelt and caring.

"See," Tsau continued with a grin. "Assassins don't always do bad deeds in the world. Sometimes, to do some good, you'll have to do some bad. It's just—"  
He stopped as she leaned over and pressed her lips against his. Tsau noticed her hand feeling up against his thigh. After that quick moment, she drew backwards. The two were left in an odd moment.

"Uh, I'm sorry," she said, standing up. "I think I should go…"

As she was leaving, he immediately stood up and reached out to grab her arm, stopping her. She gasped quietly at the touch, but didn't move away or shrug it off. Slowly, he raised his other hand to brush against her face, moving aside her bangs, and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened and she felt herself tense, but she didn't push him away. Tsau felt her kiss him back, completely in submission to the moment.

She moved him over to the bed and he sat down. With her heart rate increasing, Zi pushed him onto the bed and started stripping him, removing his undershirt. He reached behind her pajamas and unknotted the ties behind her, and felt her hands run down his chest. Before they completely lost themselves in the moment, Tsau slowly rose up and blew out the candle. Zi giggled as she pulled him back to her for more kisses, and the perfect moonlight shined brightly.

**Well, ahem…there's Chapter 20. And...in Chapter 21...the Psychosis is coming, so keep yourselves tuned in!**


	21. The Psychosis

**Well, here's the counterpart to the big update. Chapter 21, the Psychosis. It's relatively short, but you'll understand why when you're done reading. Have fun!  
**

**Chapter 21: The Psychosis**

"So, they're all gone, then?" Hassan asked Tsau.

"All of the servants are dead," Tsau stated clearly. "Or, at least the ones I signed the contract for."

His mentor looked at him in the eye. "Are you alright?"

Tsau snapped from his slight trance. "What? Of course. Is there a problem?"

"You seem like something is bothering you," Hassan noted. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The Reaper shook his head. "I'd talk if something was wrong with me, but unfortunately, there isn't."

"Don't bullshit me, Tsau," Hassan said. "It's already enough that you've been killing for the past half decade."

Tsau looked away and sighed. "It's just my last target. It was a young lady."

"How old?" Hassan asked.

"About my age when I started contracts," Tsau said. "Probably 18, 19."

The Altair nodded. "I understand that this business can leave psychological scars on you. Just take it easy."

"I'm getting over it," Tsau said. "It's nothing. Are there any more contracts?"

"There _is_ one…" he said. "It's the same client again. He wants you to kill the leader of the Manifest. Your target is a Persian woman named Farah. She's always where someone can see her, so even when she's out, it'll be hard to kill her without the patrol spotting you."

Tsau shrugged. "Then I'll just sneak into the Manifest and kill her when she's inside."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hassan asked. "I mean, I can ask Ramadi to do it. He's more into talking with women anyway…"

"No, I'll do it," Tsau said, shaking his head lightly. "I'll get into the Manifest tonight."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cool temperature of being out at sea woke Zi up as she opened her eyes. She turned to the other side and noticed Tsau. He didn't wake up early today like he usually does. She gazed at him for another few minutes with a gentle smile. Getting up from the bed, she quickly put on her pajamas and was ready to head back to her room to get dressed. Before she left, she sat on the bed and looked at him again.

"Tsau…" she said quietly. "Do you love me?"

He yawned slightly and pulled the sheets over his head. "What was that?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Uh," she stopped. "I said do you love the sea?"

"What?" he said, sitting up with a yawn. "The sea? Eh, I've never really enjoyed being out on the water. Not much room to run on unlike the city. I don't think I'll ever be as familiar with it as you are."

Zi gave a smile with a hint of bitterness behind it for not repeating her real question. "I have to go change."

"Yeah, you do that," he replied with a slight smile. "I have to change, too."

He sat up and kissed her before she went out the door. Zi blushed slightly and shut the door quietly. Very few people seemed to be up at the moment, and she had to sneak quietly. The first step she took already caused someone to detect her.

"Aha!" a voice said behind her. Zi turned around and saw Elizabeth, who just so happened to walk by. "There you are! What were you doing in there? I heard you walking out of your room last night."

"You did?" Zi said innocently. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about."

The door opened from Tsau's room and Tsau leaned out the door with a blanket covering his lower body. "Hey, Zi you for got you under…" he spotted Elizabeth, who immediately noticed him. "…wear…"

"Tsau…" Elizabeth said in acknowledgement.

Tsau looked at her oddly. "Oh, hey there…Elizabeth."

Zi went over to him and took the underwear from his hand.

"It's a…nice morning," he said. "Perfect…for breathing. Breathing air, that is…and air is good. It keeps us alive…I, um…I love air…hopefully nothing taints it..."

He cleared his throat and slowly backed into his room, shutting the door. Elizabeth then looked back at Zi, who blushed.

"I have to go to my room now," Zi said. "Um…I'll see you in a few minutes."

She turned around and headed off, leaving Elizabeth standing there speechless. Honestly, she wasn't expecting Zi to warm up to Tsau so soon, but then again, they have been on the same ship for weeks now if they summed up the trip to Aswad and back. She was also surprised that Tsau was a bit more light on his words since they spent the night together last night.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You! 'Ey, you!" Jack yelled from his prison cell. He was below Blackwell's mansion, but they put a bag over his head, so that he doesn't remember the way out. The only thing he remembered was that they went down an odd descending platform, like an elevator.

The guard that patrolled the cavern-like area approached his cell and stood in front of him. "What do you want?"

"I've got a map," Jack said desperately. "It leads to some great treasure somewhere!"

The guard yawned. "Mr. Sparrow, I'd appreciate it if you didn't act so foolish. You have a very nice cot to sleep on and we supply you with food each day. Just take Blackwell's plan seriously."

Jack smiled and went back to sit down. "Alright, mate. Just wait until the time is right. You'll regret not helping me out."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nighttime had already come quickly for the Dutchman, for the day was fast and unforgiving. Tsau and Zi spent most of their time together that day, talking about several things. He was definitely more reserved than last night, but more approachable than his usual self. Elizabeth and Will watched their relationship closely.

"Aw, look," she said to him while in his arms. "They're a perfect couple for each other."

Will smiled and held her. "Of course, just like us."

Zi looked up at the sky. Her sudden tranquility was disturbed by an odd sound, almost like music. "Do you hear that?"

Tsau, who sat next to her on the steps, looked at her oddly. "No. What?"

"Sounds like music," she said. The sound in her head put her in a state of trance. "That's odd."

As soon as Tsau turned away to look towards the front of the ship, he immediately noticed something burning in the distance, and so did Will and Elizabeth. The fire was intense, and illuminated the night as they got closer. He stood up, but noticed that Zi was passive. Ignoring her, he walked towards the front and uncovered his hood to get a better view of the wreckage. Will and Elizabeth stood next to him.

"Sailors," Tsau said, feeling the heat from the burning ship.

The ship wasn't completely burnt yet, but the outside parts definitely were. In about a good half hour or so, the ship will be burnt to a crisp. Broken parts were all over the place. Will heard a scream from inside the deck, and looked at his wife and the assassin.

"Someone's still alive," he said. "Quick, let's go find them!"

Will immediately started running to get a rope to swing across towards the other ship. Elizabeth looked at Tsau, who shook his head.

"I think I'm good," he said. "Plus, your husband can't die, right?"

She gave Tsau a scowl and followed Will. As they swung across to the other ship, Tsau watched and shook his head at the same time. The very few remainder of the crew were asleep already, and Zi was out of it, so Tsau stood there in thought. Before he could think for another moment, a chilling presence crept up from behind him, and he quickly dodged to the left, avoiding a very sharp blade stroke. As Tsau turned to look at his assailant, he noticed who the person was. Ramadi. His friend began hacking the blade at him and started to attack. Will and Elizabeth were on another ship, Zi is in a trance, and now Tsau had to deal with his friend.

"The Psychosis," he said while dodging another swift stroke.

Ramadi stopped and smiled. "So they told you about me already, huh? You won't live long enough to hear my name again."

"Why are you here?" Tsau asked him.

"Because you pose a threat to our cause," his enemy sincerely replied. "You are the only way that stands between us and the Executives."

He raised an eyebrow. "_Executives_? Of what?"

"Don't worry about it, Tsau," the Psychosis insisted. "You won't live long enough to find out."

"You were the one who killed Hassan," Tsau said. "Why did the Necromortalis help you?"

The Psychosis smiled. "You just seem to solve so many mysteries, don't you?"

"No," Tsau shook his head. "_They_ do."

"It's a pity, then," the blindfolded samurai replied. "I thought the White Falcons would prove themselves as useful adversaries. I guess I was wrong. They ended up killing themselves instead…"

"If you're so good at controlling minds," Tsau said deeply. "Why can't you control mine?"

The Psychosis scowled. "When you meet Drak Nesirus, then you'll understand why. He's the one that's up there with Zhao and Blackwell. They all have their own plans, but are forced to work together. Blackwell has the East India Trading Company, Nesirus commands the battlefield, and Zhao has his rebel army…and us."

"I'll send Zhao that blindfold of yours," Tsau said. "Then he'll understand."

"I'll send him your blade," the Psychosis responded. "And I'll send your friend's skull after you kill him."

Tsau drew his blade. "Let go of Ramadi. Your fight is with _me_."

Just right above and behind Ramadi was the blindfolded samurai warrior, floating in the air. That must be the Psychosis. His image was a bit transitioned between invisibility and reality. Perhaps this image was a hallucination.

"No, Tsau," he replied. "You'll have to get through your friend before you touch me!"

The possessed Ramadi began swinging the blade at Tsau once again, each time edging closer and closer to cutting him. Tsau parried a few blows, but was hesitant to kill his colleague.

"What's the matter, Tsau?" the Psychosis said. "I thought you were all business! You can't even go through Ramadi to kill me?!?"

As Ramadi began hacking at Tsau again, Tsau took deep breaths whilst defending himself. As his breaths sped up, he decided that there was no other way that this can be done. Ramadi lunged in to attack one more time, but Tsau swiftly dodged to the side and shoved his new saber into his friend's chest. As the moment lay still, Ramadi looked up at Tsau and smiled one last time before succumbing to his death. Tsau pulled out his saber and his friend descended to the hardwood floor of the ship.

The Psychosis was no longer transparent, and he allowed himself to be fully visible.

"Tsau, Tsau, Tsau," he started. "Why, oh why can't you stop killing people? That blade you have there is very special, because Hassan gave it to you. And now, the first life you take is your friend's. This is quite tragic."

Tsau looked down at Ramadi in slight remorse, but looked back up. "Don't worry about it. You're next."

The Psychosis laughed out loud. "Are you sure?! If you're ready to face me, then I am more than prepar—"

A gunshot fired from behind him and the Psychosis fell over, dying instantly. The cold, instant moment was odd enough, for this was surprisingly quick for one of Zhao's Deaths to die this way. Tsau was bewildered by such an immediate death. He was probably too distracted, and didn't anticipate that shot. Perhaps he wasn't all that psychic.

"Hello there, mate!" a familiar voice shouted from an approaching ship.

Tsau looked over and saw Jack Sparrow and his Pearl crew draw by closer. How did they find them so fast? Will and Elizabeth swung back from the burning ship, and brought back with them a young girl, probably about Bill's age.

When they looked over, they saw Jack and the crew.

"Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

Jack tipped his hat to her and a smile came across his face. Will walked right by Tsau with the little girl in his arms, unconscious and cold from her tattered clothes, although she just came out of a burning ship. The two ships began slowly drifting away, oddly, from the debris that floated in the water.

"Excuse me there," Will said as he passed by.

Tsau watched suspiciously as everyone went about their business. They were definitely far ahead of schedule now, and perhaps they can release Will from his service now that Jack has the chest. He accepted the moment and walked towards the steps to talk to Zi, who was still in her state of trance. Maybe the Psychosis was doing this to her the whole time.

"Izzi, you alright?" he asked.

Zi looked up at him and tried to clear her head. "I think I'm fine…just gimme a few minutes."

Tsau nodded. "Okay."

After that, he walked up towards Jack and Elizabeth, who were conversing about what the next plan was. Tsau looked at the two, and broke their discussion by clearing his throat.

"Ah, there you are," Jack acknowledged.

"Did you get the chest?" Tsau asked.

Jack smiled. "Aye, but under one condition: I get the Dutchman as my ship."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Fine by me," Tsau said. "But…I have to get my end of this bargain."

She then looked at Tsau. "I thought you were helping us!"

"Help isn't for free, Elizabeth," Tsau said. "Jack knows this…and you, as the Pirate King should know as well."

Will approached them and looked at Tsau. "So…what is it that you want, Tsau? What have you been helping us this whole time, for?"

Tsau was about to speak, but noticed something when he looked at Will. There was no scar on his chest. No evidence of his heart being removed. Not only that, but they haven't even engaged the Necromortalis yet to capture it in the dagger. And, they still haven't found what "the blood of its liberator" was, either. There were lots of holes in the equation here. Tsau looked down with a hint of paranoia and waited for a few moments. He then looked up and gave them a smirk. He wasn't going to be taken for a fool.

**Oh, no. Is something wrong? Hah, you'll have to check in to the next chapter to find out. By the way, if you don't remember what "blood of its liberator" was, it was mentioned in Chapter 10, "Decipher the Curse," when they were reading that letter that fell from the piano.**


	22. The Psychosis, Part 2

**Well, Chapter 21 and 22 had to be split up into two chapters, so this one is about the same length as Chapter 21. I was already halfway done with the Psychosis, but I knew that it was going to be long.**

**Oh, and by the way, my last update was a major update. It included both chapters 20 and 21 with it. I noticed that there are fewer hits for chapter 20 than 21. Since this one is the counterpart to 21, I'll still keep 20 and 21 up as a recent update. Don't miss 20, guys! Anyway, here's 22.**

**Chapter 22: The Psychosis, Part 2**

The currently ensuing moment was quite unusual in Tsau's mind. The nighttime has already passed through, and the morning was misty…foggy, almost.

Elizabeth looked at him strangely. "Tsau? Will asked you a question."

Tsau looked over at Zi. "Hold up. I have to check up on Izzi."

He went over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "How're you feeling now?"

"Uh…I think I'll be fine…" she said, trying to stand. "What's happening here? Why is Jack here?"

Tsau slightly smiled. At least her state of trance was keeping her away from this odd moment. "Okay…good. Stay close."

"I'm about to seal the Necromortalis," Jack said. "I get the Dutchman, Will gets his heart back, and you still haven't told us what you wanted, Mr. Assassin."

"Can't it wait for another moment?" Tsau asked darkly. "Why the rush?"

Will stepped forward. "Err…well…I don't want to be the captain for another moment."

"Is that right?" Tsau said. "Well…you _would_ be the captain of the Dutchman, Mr. Turner, if you didn't have your heart."

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked.

Tsau quickly drew his trigun and shot Will in the chest. Will flew backwards and fell unconscious on the floor. After Will was dead, Tsau raised his weapon and shot Jack and Elizabeth next. Zi stood up in shock, apparent to have escaped her state of abstraction.

"What are you doing?!" she asked him outrageously.

Tsau looked at his surroundings. "You won't fool me. Show yourself."

The foggy surroundings began to rumble, and the darkness of last night returned. Everything was back to its original state. The burning ship was still there, Jack was not present, and Will and Elizabeth were still on board the burning ship. Ramadi was still dead, however. Out of thin air, the Psychosis appeared and fell to his knees as if tired.

"NO!" the Psychosis exclaimed in failure. "That was a perfect simulation! How did you know?!?"

Tsau quickly reloaded his weapon and shot at the Psychosis, but he seemed to know that it was coming, and dodged out of the way.

He reloaded his gun again and looked at his adversary. "That simulation was far from perfect. You overlooked too many subtle details, and tried to get to the point too fast."

Zi was still behind Tsau, noticing the changing surroundings. "What the hell happened to the setting? The music…it's gone, too."

Tsau quickly drew a shuriken and hurled it at the blind samurai, but he dodged it once again. His psychic powers were helping him avoid all attacks.

He didn't answer her after her question, but kept his eyes on the Psychosis. "Why? Why do you want to know my reason for getting rid of the Necromortalis?"

"Not me…" the blindfolded samurai said, standing up from his last evasion. "…Drak Nesirus wants to know."

"Then why does he want to know?" Tsau asked. "And why didn't you just read my mind? You had to go through all the trouble of trying to fool me."

"Tsau…" Zi said from behind. "I think you should refrain from asking those questions." She walked around and stood in front of him. Her hand came up and embraced the back of his neck. "It doesn't matter anyway…right?"

Tsau looked at her oddly. Her eyes seemed a dull, rose color, and her voice was very soothing. "Stay…out of my way…"

"All that matters is us, Tsau," she spoke. The Psychosis's voice was speaking the same words, completely in sync with her voice. "Do you love me, Tsau?"

"Stop it," Tsau said towards the Psychosis. "She has nothing to do with this."

"Psychosis?" she asked in a seductive tone. "I don't want Psychosis, Tsau…I want you…"

As she came in for a kiss, Tsau just stood there and waited for the moment to pass. Before he knew, she backed away and took his trigun.

"What's the matter Tsau?" she asked, pointing the gun at him. "You don't love me?"

"Izzi, put the gun down," Tsau commanded. "Fight his manipulation, Izzi."

She scoffed. "The only manipulation that I've ever had is from you!"

Tsau walked forward towards the mind controlled Zi. "So you're going to shoot me, then? Do you absolutely want to pull the trigger?"

"You better believe it," the Psychosis said, floating over to the rail and sitting down. "All I needed was her to escape her trance…and now I have her under my spell."

"So, it wasn't you who put her in that trance, then?" Tsau said.

He shook his head. "It must have been the Executives."

Tsau looked back at Zi and started approaching her slowly. "Are you going to shoot me, then? Don't let yourself fall towards his control, Izzi. Can you live knowing that you've killed me?"

Behind the mind control, Zi began to hesitate pulling the trigger. The Psychosis scowled at her hesitation.

"Foolish girl!" he exclaimed. "If you can't kill Tsau, then you'll kill yourself!"

The gun in her hand immediately came up and pointed at her head.

Tsau then quickly smacked the gun away and struck her in the side of the head, knocking her out temporarily. He rolled forward and picked up the gun, aimed it at the Psychosis, and unloaded all of the bullets. The Psychosis fell backwards out on the deck, and lay there.

He kneeled down to check on Zi if she had been hurt.

"You okay?" he asked.

Zi stood up and rubbed her forehead. "I-I'm fine…"

Tsau nodded in acknowledgement and walked over to the Psychosis, who was still alive. Traveling down the stairs, he watched Will and Elizabeth swing back from the burning ship, carrying a small child with them. It was the same child in the simulation that the Psychosis applied on Tsau.

The only thing apparent was his breathing. "I…I couldn't see the future…I couldn't see it coming…"

Tsau put his gun away and kneeled down to check on the fallen samurai. Zi walked down the steps and joined him. Will took the child into the cabins, and Elizabeth headed over to see what was happening.

"A true warrior doesn't need to see the future…" Tsau replied. "He makes his own."

The samurai smiled. "…Perhaps…but I have read _your_ future…"

"So have I," Tsau said. "Because of what I chose to do."

"No…Tsau…" the Psychosis disagreed. "Not that…the…the path you walk on…the things you do…they won't end…I had trouble reading yours…I can't come up with an absolute conclusion…"

Tsau looked down at him. "That's because I haven't made mine, yet. Because I choose what to do. I won't be a prisoner to fate."

His enemy laughed, with blood trickling out from his mouth. "Be careful of what will happen when you look for Sparrow…I sense something bad. Keep yourself sharp, Tsau…"

"Why are you telling me this?" Tsau asked.

"I…I can read people's minds…" he replied. "I can control them, I can kill them, I can cause them to go mad…but…in my lifetime, I have read the pasts, the presents, and the futures of hundreds of thousands of men and women…"

Tsau reached over and removed his blindfold. Underneath were a missing set of eyes, but everything was scarred. There were scars and traces of former infections, diseases, and cuts. Elizabeth and Zi backed away slightly from the sighting.

"…in my lifetime…every life that I canvassed…was stuck with that one single obsession…" the Psychosis said in his raspy voice. "…that selfless desire…that complete acquiescence to fate…that feeling to pass on one's genes…that happiness in knowing that they were content with their lives…their neighbors. It was enough to make me sick. Every living thing on this planet always mindlessly accepts their destiny. That is why wars exist…because people always accept things for what they are…

"…but you…Tsau…you are different…you choose to walk a different path, an endless one…you're the same as us…you have no past, no future…we, Tsau, we live in the moment…we live to kill…and that's our only purpose…we have no destiny. Humans weren't designed to bring each other happiness…humans like us…we're thrown into this world to only bring pain, and misery…that is our purpose from the moment we are born…"

Tsau listened to him intently. He was not just another bad guy, but just another soldier…another killer, like him. Their purposes weren't so different, and the fact that Tsau cannot even answer why he does what he does proves that he has no destiny.

The Psychosis continued talking, with Zi and Elizabeth listening. "The first mind I dove into was my father's. I saw nothing but disgust…and hatred…for I was weak…and frail…not the type of samurai he'd imagined. My mother died from my conception…and he despised me for it. I thought he was going to kill me…and that's when my past and future disappeared…when I was finished…everyone in the village had killed each other…children killing their parents…noble samurai killing their neighbors…"

"So you destroyed your village to bury your past?" Tsau asked calmly.

"…I see that you have tried to do so…" the Psychosis continued. "But…you are different…you disregard the past…you don't care…Well, we are almost the same…heheh…the world is a more interesting place with people like you in it…I…never agreed with Zhao's attempts to liberate his peoples…I didn't care for his cause…I just wanted another reason to kill as many people as I could."

Zi had an angry face. "You monster—"

"Let him talk," Tsau said. "He doesn't have much time."

She turned her back to Tsau and the Psychosis.

"Monster…" the Psychosis said with more smiles. "I've seen true evil…the real monstrosity…Tsau…seeing you calms my soul. You're just like Nesirus…no, you're worse…compared to you, Tsau, I'm like a saint. You are alone…you have no reason…the path you walk on won't end…the killing…there is never enough to satisfy you. I've read the girl's mind as well…"

"Izzi's?"

"I saw you there. You have a large place in her heart," he stated. Zi turned around and looked at the dying man. "…and getting bigger…"

He looked over his shoulder and watched Zi turn around again in slight embarrassment. "But…I do not know if your futures join together…I don't know if your destiny intertwines with the Dutchman and the Pearl…you will have two choices in the end…Tsau. Either you will choose to die…or you will prevail…and walk your path once again. I have to thank you for freeing me of my suffering…the losers are freed from the battle…but the winners have to stay and fight…"

"I have a reason…" Tsau said. "I will be the first to quit fighting once this is over…"

The sightless man laughed. "It's not that easy, Tsau. And Tsau…there's one last Death that is Zhao has…he goes by the name of the Macabre…he is dressed in knightly armor…and he's the personal bodyguard of Zhao."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tsau said.

"I…I have one last request…"

"That is?" he asked.

"Please…put my blindfold back on…and leave me on a small boat out to sea…I…I want to be alone when I die…I want to be in my own world…the only one that we understand…"

Tsau nodded and placed the blindfold back on him. "Okay."

"I will push your ship in the direction of Port Royal…if you want to find your destiny, go there…" he said. The ship began to move again, and he smiled. "This is the first time I've used my powers to help someone…strange…it feels good…"

Before he could talk any longer, his breathing ceased and he died, with only the sound of the burning ship. Tsau lifted the dead samurai and placed him on one of the boats, and lowered him down to sea. As he watched the Psychosis drift away, he thought about the words that were given to him. More than ever now, Tsau wanted the nightmares to end. He wanted to stop doing what he did. Zi and Elizabeth looked at him while he was in a state of thought, watching if he was going to do anything. Tsau let his mind roam for another moment, but let his thoughts subside. He still had a mission. He couldn't let a moment like this stop him. Zi walked up to him but didn't confront him.

"Tsau?" she said. "I'm…sorry…"

He didn't turn around. "About what?"

She bit her lip. "How could I let him control me like that? How could I be so weak?"

The White Falcon looked over his shoulder. "If you're going to doubt yourself, then I'll leave you in the moment."

"R-Right," she nodded.

Tsau turned back and sighed. "Don't regret your mistakes, adapt to it. Learn. Regrets only make you weaker."

"And remorse?"

"I try to ignore it," Tsau said. "I can't allow it to interfere with my work."

She let that statement sink in. "So…have you ever loved anyone?"

"I've never been interested with anyone else's life," he replied.

Zi let out a subtle smile. "So you _are_ all alone, just like he said."

"Other people just complicate my life," he stated. "I don't like getting involved."

She almost couldn't believe what he was saying, even after what happened between them last night. He was a totally different person from yesterday.

"Then you're a sad, lonely, man," she stated. "I'm sorry for you."

"Don't be," he said. "I get what I deserve."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Farah began to change out of her clothes in her room, but noticed a presence hiding in the shadows behind her. She stood there with the only piece of clothing being her pants.

"Are you going to kill me or wait for me to undress first?" she asked.

Tsau stepped forward with his gun aimed at her. "Put your clothes back on."

She slipped her top back on and turned around. "I know you. You're the one who killed all my servants."

"And now I've been sent to kill you," Tsau stated.

"Are you?" she said.

He was smirking under his hood. "You're not afraid?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "There's always somebody that will take my place. And, knowing you…as the Reaper…if you were going to kill me, I wouldn't have seen it coming."

"What is going on in this small cult you're running?" he asked her.

Farah smiled a bit and walked forward. "Come now, Reaper. Allow me to start from the beginning…" Tsau followed Farah out the door. "…there was once a man named Rufus Blackwell, but he called himself Rufus the Black…"

**I took quite awhile to formulate the speech of the Psychosis, so hopefully you enjoyed it. They'll reach Port Royal at Chapter 23, so don't miss out on it!**


	23. The Vivid and the Vague

**Obviously it's been awhile. I'm back in school now, and the first two weeks were busy, busy, busy, which also means that my progress with the story will be much slower since I've got homework. Sorry for the horrendously long delay, but I'm back with one of the most important chapters you'll read in the story. This one is the longest chapter I've written for this story. They'll now be looking for Jack Sparrow, but what awaits them?**

**BTW, what the hell...why did one of my most important chapters (probably THE most:O) fall on the Number 23?!  
2/3 .666!!!!!!  
Blah...  
xx Enjoy the chapter...  
**

**Chapter 23: The Vivid and the Vague  
**

"It's quieter than usual," Elizabeth stated. "Oddly enough, the quarreling and hectic business of dockworkers is not present."

"Everyone looks so calm," Zi added. "Weird…"

Tsau kept a straight face as he stepped onto the docks of Port Royal. "Something's wrong. Move about your business, and don't draw attention."

"I believe I won't draw attention as much as a white clothed assassin," Elizabeth said.

"I'm a monk right now," Tsau countered, folding his hands together. "No one would hurt a holy man."

Zi rolled her eyes at his statement.

Will leaned over the shipside towards them. "I'll govern the ship…and Bill. Come back safely."

Zi then turned to Tsau. "So, any ideas on where to find Zhao and Blackwell?"

"His mansion," Tsau said firmly. "There's an elevating platform that I discovered when we went to get Bill. I'm sure that's where everything is going down. I'm also pretty damn sure that it leads to a cove, or a small cave that stretches to the outside."

"And why are you so sure?" Zi asked skeptically.

"Escape route," Elizabeth answered. "There must be a miniature means of transport in there that they can utilize."

Tsau nodded. "Apparently, Blackwell chose an excellent spot for his base."

"And about what the Psychosis said a few days ago…" Zi started. "He said something would go wrong."

He turned to her. "He _could_ be lying."

"And what of Jack?" Elizabeth asked. "We'll need to find him first."

"We'll ask around," Tsau said, almost completely forgotten about him. "Maybe we won't even have to fight against Blackwell's forces if we get away cleanly."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Psychosis is dead, sir," a soldier spoke, standing in Zhao's office. "Tsau prevails."

Zhao took a deep breath. Normally, a deranged villain would kill off a few of his soldiers, but Zhao wouldn't do so. He was a controlled person. "So, now he's coming for me. Brilliant. My weakest protégé defeats my strongest ones. Of course, I have one left."

"Should we send _him_?" the soldier asked.

"No," said Nesirus's voice, walking in from the door. "Let Tsau come to _us_. If we cannot kill him, then I have other plans for my dear counterpart."  
Zhao chuckled. "You should know, he's quite stubborn."

"I'm not a man of complete violence, General," Nesirus replied. "I'm a man of business, and Tsau, I'm sure, prefers business over blades."

The Chinese general sat down in his desk and took a sip of tea. "You give a man like that just a small bit of power, and he'll expand it greatly."

"Of course he would."

"Do you think…?"

Nesirus nodded and paced the room. His long coat made it seem as if he floated. The scarf that wrapped around the lower portion of his face covered his identity partly.

"The Executives most likely have their stake in this," he spoke with that odd British accent. "They're definitely up to something, and Tsau is part of their plan. He always _was_ part of it…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill sat in the chair inside the captain's quarters, watching over the girl. The dimly lit candles gave the atmosphere a lack of clarity. She looked to be about his age, but was definitely Spanish, considering the Spanish Army Medallion that was set on the desk. What could have happened to her ship?

Her eyes opened tiredly. "I've seen you…"

"You were faintly awake a few times," Bill replied. "I'm Bill Turner."

"Maria Esperanza," she said in almost a whisper. Her eyes shut again and she went back to sleep.

"I'm watching over you, Maria," the young Bill said, still sitting in his chair.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking towards the direction of Blackwell's mansion, Tsau kept his pace steady, and his mind sharp. Soon, the chest would be his, and everything will fall into place. His mission would be complete…but what about after? Tsau almost smiled at that thought. He could probably give up his job forever.

"I'm sorry they're all gone, Tsau," Zi told him. "Hassan and the others…and Ramadi."

Tsau removed his hood. "What can I do about it?"

"What _can_ you do about it?" Zi asked.

"Move on," Tsau said.

"No…you take revenge. We'll find this Nesirus person, and when we find him, you can settle it."

He stopped and looked at her for a moment, then looked over his shoulder towards Elizabeth. After a quick glance, he turned back to Zi and chuckled slightly. "You don't understand. This whole thing…this whole quest…it's all business. You haven't learned a thing about me if you think I'll bring my own emotions into my work."

"Your employer is dead," Zi then said, turning to face him. "That nullifies your contract, assassin."

"You're right," Tsau replied in delay. "Your safety is no longer my responsibility. I'm relieved you figured that out."

Elizabeth laughed jokingly. "Come on, you two lovers. Easy now."

"No…" Tsau said in a converse tone. "She's right. Hassan is dead. I've got nothing left to do, except do what I must do, and that is to finish this. Preferably without your help."

They both looked at him with a deeper stare. He was dead serious.

"W-what? You're serious?!" Zi asked in slight anger. "You've been with us this long—"

"You knew this was coming," Tsau said. "This is still business, remember? I've got _my_ business to take care of."

"So are you still working with us?" Elizabeth asked with an almost unsurprised voice.

He smirked. "I've got no choice."

They walked just a bit further before Elizabeth went to a nearby merchant. It was quite odd that Jack was not present at the moment, so the best place to start, as Tsau stated, was to ask around.

"Excuse me," she started. The man looked up at her. "Have you laid eyes on a large ship or any strangers in town lately?"

"Ships were present earlier this week about a kilometer or two down the coastline," the man replied. "I think they might leave soon. There was a Mr. Smith that came, too, and was taken away by the Guv. Drunk-looking fellow."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, walking away. A rush of fear washed up her spine to hear the news. Something in the air was odd, indeed.

"So, where is our pirate friend?" Zi asked her.

"They have him," she said.

Tsau nodded slightly. "We'll have to get into their small base through the cave in that cove. Do you have any clue where it is?"

"The merchant spoke of a few ships that were stationed down the coastline. We should go get Jack," Elizabeth answered.

"I'm not responsible for Jack," Tsau said. "_You_ and the crew can go to the coastline. I need that chest, and I'm going to get that chest."

"So you're really not helping us anymore?" Zi asked him almost bewilderedly.

"I'm getting that chest," Tsau restated. "I'm doing us all a favor."

As Tsau continued forward, Zi turned around with Elizabeth to head back to the Dutchman, with a very bitter face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sir, we've spotted the Reaper in town," a soldier told Blackwell. "He's returned from the Persian Gulf and is here for the chest."

"Any theories why he went to the Gulf?" Blackwell asked, looking over battle plans while inside the cave.

The soldier shrugged. "General Zhao thinks that Tsau went to get the dagger. Our spies say that he had access to the archives."

"_The_ Manifest Archives?" Blackwell asked. "So it's true, then. What does Nesirus have planned?"

"He said that since we could not handle Tsau, he shall engage the Reaper _personally_," the soldier said. "He suggests that we seize him."

Blackwell looked towards the dim light that spilled into the damp cave. He walked away from the battle plans and a smirk came across his face. "Good. It is all going as planned."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dutchman was idly floating outside the small cove a few kilometers down the shoreline, and the cave that was there seemed fairly big, and there was a dock. Amongst the dock were the ships. _The_ ships. _The Insurrection_ and _The Brutus…_Zhao's ship and Blackwell's, respectively.

"So, Tsau is walking an alternative route?" Will asked Elizabeth and Zi.

Zi looked slightly over her shoulder to acknowledge his comment, but turned back away towards the sea. Her thoughts of Tsau were now tainted with his current behavior. It was only a few days ago that he allowed himself to open up, but it's just the same Tsau now. _No…worse. It's a different Tsau_, she thought.

Elizabeth looked at Zi, then back at her husband. "He's after the chest."

"And when he gets it…he'll have both items…" Will said. He mentally slapped himself for speaking such an obvious statement.

"I'm pretty sure that when we had to go to Aswad Mohit, he sought the help from this little cult of his," Zi said, turning around. They both listened to her. "I'm also sure that he was looking for the answers to those riddles posed in that letter of yours. And now he knows what to do exactly."

"Cleansed by its liberator…" Will spoke, reciting the lines from the letter.

"No…it's 'blood of its liberator,'" Zi suddenly spoke up again.

She noticed now that she could entrust what she knew to these two human beings. Will and Elizabeth were pure hearted people, not like Jack or Tsau or Barbossa. The only people fighting this battle were only Tsau, Jack, and Barbossa against Blackwell, Zhao, and this "Nesirus" character that she heard about. They were all bad men fighting mercilessly over one thing, and one thing only. Zi, Will, Elizabeth, and a cast of others were only in between…pawns in their game.

Will turned to her. "Blood? How do you know?"

"I could hear what Tsau was thinking…when he fought that blindfolded samurai…" she answered. "He was placed in a hallucination where you two came back from the burning ship, and Jack returned from out of nowhere. I could read his thoughts…he didn't know what 'blood of its liberator' meant. I then noticed that he thought about the word 'blood' and not 'cleansed.' The liberator is somebody, and I think Tsau knows who it is now."

"Liberator…" Elizabeth realized. "The one who frees…who liberates."

"_Zhao_ is a liberator," Will spoke.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No…it's Rufus Blackwell…or Rufus the Black."

"Rufus the Black liberated the Necromortalis from the Angel of Death…rather yet, created it," Zi said, throwing out a comment. "If Rufus is dead…then there's only one person who still has the 'blood' to 'cleanse' the Dagger of Black Death."

Elizabeth looked out towards the cave. "Augustus Blackwell."

Will smiled a bit. "Then it wasn't _that_ difficult to figure…"

Another moment passed, and the thought of Tsau once again took toll on Zi. The moment back there was so brief, yet his words meant a thousand. Zi turned away towards the shipside. "I'm worried about him."

"Tsau?" Elizabeth asked. "What for?"

"I thought I could save him…" she said.

"From what?" her friend asked again.

Zi looked up at Elizabeth with watery eyes. "He's falling apart. Hanging by a thread…and if he falls any further, he could lose his sense of self forever…"

"He seemed quite well when you…err…stepped out of his room," Elizabeth stated.

"The night our relationship transcended—I don't even know if Tsau would consider us a relationship—was the night that I noticed Tsau's sense of being returning. A rush of happiness struck me," Zi said. "But now…he's worse."

"He probably loves you too, dear," Bootstrap's voice came from down the stairs onto the deck. "But sometimes, you'll just have to let people go."

Bill walked up the stairs and joined his parents. Immediately, he hugged Zi. "It's okay, Zi. We're here for you."

Zi's tears rolled down her cheek and she smiled in a bittersweet expression. "Thanks."

"You're almost like a sister to me, now, Zi," Elizabeth said with a grin. "I can't let you fall, too."

"The world will always unfold as it should," Will said while at the helm. "You'll just have to adjust and make what's best of your circumstances."

"Adapt, and change…" Zi replied.

Elizabeth smiled. "You're right. We shall finish this quest. No matter what happens…we shall overcome all obstacles."

"Adapt…and change…" she repeated. "Someone wise once told me that."

Bill let go of his embrace and smiled. "Me, too."

Zi looked down at him and returned the expression. "Okay. Let's finish this. There's one thing Tsau did not consider about me."

"That is?" Elizabeth asked.

She reached towards her belt and pulled out a shiny black dagger. "I'm a master pickpocket. Unfortunately, he underestimated me the most, out of all of us. Now he doesn't have both."

A sudden beam of hope caused all them to smile. The crewmembers who were working even looked up and let out a chuckle.

"Aye," Will said as the ship approached even closer to the opposing ships. "We could win."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau had to stay on top of the elevated platform before someone came to use it. The platform was extremely hot due to the steam, but it was the only way he could've gotten in. Dropping down from the hatch above the elevator, Tsau quietly stayed within the shadows. The night was now complete, and outside the cave was now a world swallowed by darkness. The mere fact that the chest was close now nearly brought chills down Tsau's spine, but he kept the sensation from escaping into the outside world.

Wandering around and hiding amongst the surplus and provisions, he could spot some battle plans stretched on a large table that were unfortunately blinded with light. If he was interested, he'd have to come back after the chest. Armed troops, both of Zhao's and Blackwell's patrolled the area, although there were very few.

Turning the corner and heading down further into the cave, he spotted Jack, who was sleeping soundly in a small prison cage in the room made for prisoners. Tsau paused for a second to think about rescuing him. After a quick moment, he pressed onward with anger towards himself.

_Never hesitate like that again. _He told himself.

With the sound of approaching footsteps, Tsau dashed behind some storage crates to see who was headed his way. He was in the shadows now, and no one could see him. Watching carefully, he noticed that it was Elizabeth and Zi, but where was Will? Tsau waited for those two to sneak past first before going forward. Will probably went after the chest.

He knew that things would probably be easier if he just killed and dragged the guards away. Tsau snuck back the way he came from, concluding that this wasn't the way to the chest. Looking upwards, he leaped to a horizontal support beam that was nearly perfect to kill someone from below. The Falcon waited for a Chinese guard to come by, and he pulled out a very strong fiber wire that he stole from a piano. The wire was very durable, and was a lot better than a knife since it didn't leave a trail of blood. Not only that, but Tsau also knew that he could pull a choking maneuver on an armored guard. Tsau waited for the next few moments and hung downwards from his legs when the guard came by. He timed it just correctly, and caught the wire around the guard's throat. Tsau lifted the choking guard up to the beam after his life passed away slowly, and lowered him again after he slipped the guard's clothes over his robes.

Lowering the body down to the ground, Tsau dragged it away into the shadows, but then decided to change out of his robe completely and just wear the armor. It would've been too obvious. Walking around in the disguise, he headed back and down the other direction to find the chest. Then, he found himself in a great room, which seemed as if built for training. Dummies were set up around the area, and training equipment was set up nicely on racks and storage bins. The room seemed to have very little patrol pacing through them. Stepping forward, Tsau could see the chest up ahead, set on a bench. Suspiciously, on the other side of the room. It won't be a good idea to walk straight to it.

"Jack!" Elizabeth whispered ecstatically.

Jack woke up from his sleep and stood up excitedly. "Oh, Zi and Lizzie. Aren't you two a good surprise!"

Zi smiled and pulled out a key that she snatched from one of the guards earlier. She unlocked the cell door and set him free. "How you doing there, Cap'n?"

"Oh, please," Jack said cockily. "I had Blackwell under my thumb this whole time."

"Let's go get that chest," Elizabeth said.

Jack grinned. "No need to, love. The chest is on the Pearl. The Pearl is stationed on a small island not too far from here."

"We should go get Will and Tsau," Elizabeth replied. "They are on the hunt for that cursed chest."

Jack then bit his lip, but eventually agreed.

Will snuck past the sight of the elevator which caught him off guard for a moment. Prowling silently through the shadows, he kept himself low and aligned his movement along the crates. As he stepped into a puddle of black, he noticed that there was an unconscious body on the ground.

"Find the chest yet, mate?" Jack whispered from behind. "It's not here."

Will was surprised by Jack's arrival, but questioned his statement nonetheless. "Jack…why not?"

"Let's retreat, Will," Elizabeth said. "We'll explain later."

Will reached down and picked up Tsau's white robe. "And Tsau?"

Everyone then looked at Zi, who stared at the Falcon's uniform. She swallowed and thought for a moment. "He's an assassin. I'm a pirate. Those who fall behind are left behind. Let's go."

Just then, troops came and surrounded them, with their guns pointed, ready to shoot. Blackwell and Zhao stepped out of the shadows and approached.

"I'm afraid your little games are over, children," Blackwell stated, fixing his navy hat. "But keep quiet, and follow me. You wouldn't want to miss this."

"Miss what?" Zi asked.

Blackwell smirked. "The fall of the greatest assassin of our time. Oh, yes, we know about Tsau. He's fallen right into our trap."

"Lookie here, Guv, we seek for no trouble," Jack said with his unshaken smile. "Just let us go quietly, mate, and we'll be on our way."

"No, Jack," Zhao retorted. "We want your crewmembers to see what we have to show…"

"You mean…" Jack said with a pause. "Oh, heheh. Mr. Nesirus is the least of our—worries—at the moment, General. Perhaps we can set up an appointment some other time."

Zhao scooted over to the side, and the monster-like knight figure that Jack met half a week ago stepped forward.

"Oh…'ello, beastie," Jack said. "Perhaps we can settle this late—"

The tall knight drew his blade and held it up to Jack's neck.

"—Okay…"

Blackwell stepped forward. "Come now, my dear children, and watch us capture the great Reaper…"

"Reaper?" Jack asked in response. He looked at Will, who shrugged.

They followed down the dark corridors, and waited to see what would happen. In the distance, a helmeted soldier stood in front of the training area. Tsau looked over his shoulder, and knew that something was wrong. The Psychosis really wasn't lying, then. Up above, on a balcony, footsteps were the only sounds present. There were troops gathered around the training area, seizing Tsau. Everything that was hopeful seemed dull, as the moment sank in. Elizabeth, Will, Zi, and Tsau looked up at the man walking on the balcony. The scarf covering half his face was removed and a very cold, chilling sensation crippled their nerves for a few moments.

"It is an honor…" he spoke. The voice was exactly the same, except for the British accent. The face, exactly the same. Almost every aspect of him was the same. "It's not everyday that I get to meet the legendary Reaper."

Zi looked up and questioned herself. "Is that…Tsau…?!"

"No, love," Jack answered. "That there's Drak Nesirus…the boss behind everything."

"Why…why does he look like Tsau?" Zi asked.

"Shut up," Blackwell said from over his shoulder.

Tsau removed the guard's helmet and stood there in the Chinese armor. "You must be Drak Nesirus."

"Face-to-face at last, with my counterpart…" Nesirus stated. "Honestly, the ensuing moment is a satisfying one."

"What charade are you running here?" Tsau asked in his deep, chilling voice. "What kind of person would go out of their way to look like me? Who are you?"

"Ah, Tsau…I am _you_," Drak Nesirus said. "I have your skin, I have your eyes, I have your voice, I have everything that you have. But…I have a different mindset. You see, I am the anti-Tsau."

Tsau dropped his helmet and kept his gaze on this man who seemed to be a mirror image of him, except for the haircut, of course. His hair was long, and slicked back. "What do you want from me?"

"Your mind possesses many beautiful, deadly secrets," Nesirus spoke. "I'm here to know them. We have much business to do."

"Give me that chest first," Tsau said. "And maybe I'll just sever your leg, or something."

Nesirus smirked. "The Deaths underestimated you. I won't."

Tsau was about to speak one more time, but there was no chance. From behind, someone struck the back of his head and he fell forward, completely blacked out. Everything was turned around.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is the third generation…so, Rufus the Black set the Necromortalis free, huh?" Tsau asked Farah.

Farah looked at him and nodded with a slight grin. "Yes. It's a situation that we deal with every day. The Angel of Death is the ultimate necessity. If we can restore its existence, then the dead may stay strong once again. The captain of the Dutchman is already halfway through his first term before he can step on the line again."

"And you?" Tsau asked. "How do you know if I'm going to kill you or not?"

"You've already made that decision," she opened a door that led to a room with a large meeting table. "But do you know why?"

Tsau shook his head. "I don't care why."

"I understand what you are going through, Reaper," she said. "You seek…redemption. Forgiveness. Penance. Poor children like you are angels who have fallen from the skies. The ones who disregard everything in the past. The ones who don't care. I'm here to help you find a better understanding of yourself."

"I know who I am, and my work is my work," Tsau said to her. "At the end of the day …this is just what I _do_…it's not who I _am_."

"Your work is killing you inside…slowly," Farah then stated firmly. "The last servant you took from me…was my niece. Eva. She was very young, and had an avid habit of curiosity. She was a smart one, although I preferred that she go to school. All of us who work here…all of us who dedicate our lives…we all had a dream. The servants…Malik had his dedication, Raoul had his passion, Andrea had her faith...and I had Eva.," she continued, beginning to sob as her voice began to break. "But we all had a common goal…and that was to restore the Angel of Death to its rightly place. The Dutchman was never supposed to come into the scene. We all bled and died for this one purpose only, and now…they're all dead. You killed them. You killed my niece. Are their deaths in vain? Who will be the one to answer?"

Tsau was almost speechless with her words, but more like letting them sink in before he spoke.

She laughed with her tears still running down her face. "With my niece…my last blood relation dead…death doesn't seem so bad after all."

"Does restoring the Angel of Death bring redemption?" Tsau asked.

Farah laughed again. "What do _you_ have to redeem? You seem to be doing quite well by helping wipe bad men off the face of this world."

"I killed your niece," Tsau said. "I think that's more than enough to fight for redemption. I, too, have a goal. There's just…I can't take any more nightmares."

Farah looked up at him and caressed his cheek. "You are truly an angel, Tsau. Divinity has been cast upon you. I can sense it."

He felt her hand for a moment, then lightly pushed it away. "I'm nobody. Tsau…the Reaper…is just an idea. I'm losing myself."

"So," she said with a smile. "What are you saying?"

"I will take up this mission of yours," Tsau stated. "Hopefully I am forgiven at the end. Hopefully they get rid of my dreams."

"…and if they don't?" Farah asked.

Tsau shook his head. "Then I can't survive another day knowing that the memories won't go away. There will be no hope. I'll lose myself, forever."

"Are you sure about this, Tsau?"

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I pledge my service to the Angel of Death. I will be the Fifth Servant of the Third Generation."

**Well, I'm sure you are :O!!!! right now, so ahem...more plot points to come, but don't know when, with school, etc, so um…yeah. What'll happen to Tsau?!?**


	24. The Obvious and Ambiguous

**Following the longest chapter in my story is the second shortest chapter, although it could count as the shortest because the prologue doesn't count. Hehe. Anyway, this is just focusing on Tsau. Have fun!**

**Chapter 24: The Obvious and Ambiguous**

_"Hey, are you there? Hello-oo. Want me to come over again? Maybe you can cook for me, haha. Anyway, what have you been up to lately?"_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_"This business is hard, my boy. The job that you decided to take with my Falcons is a difficult one. It's a tough game, Tsau. Just remember one thing…the day you bring your morals to work is the day you don't come home. Inside, we're all hurting. But you have to persist…grow older…wiser…then you can begin setting real goals. We all walk a higher path, son. Just try to see that."_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The chain-mechanical table was cold. The air was cool, but felt damp at the same time. But he felt numb. His body wouldn't move. The back of his head was probably bruised due to someone striking him there. Trying to open his eyes, blurs of light could only be seen, and he could feel his body being locked down to the helm of a…table-like object. And he did not have his coat or shirt on, but only his pants and boots. All of his equipment was gone.

"Benjamin Franklin," said a voice. It echoed faintly in Tsau's mind. Trying to regain his conscience, Tsau opened his eyes all the way and looked towards the ceiling. "He's learning to utilize electricity as a power source, you know. The British-Americans are becoming quite a prosperous people, don't you think? Electricity is a very beautiful source of power, Tsau. I know that you can appreciate art. I appreciate yours. You execute your murders so flawlessly," the man then chuckled. "Assassination is truly an art of its own."

The chains began to move with a chugging sound and the table started turning perpendicular to the ground. Tsau regained his vision and looked at the room around him. It was in Blackwell's mansion, inside of an office somewhere. There were neither desks nor chairs, however, and it seemed that this room was made exclusively for the table Tsau was rested on. Through the walls, he could hear the piano in the background playing.

"Are you awake, my Dark Sunrise?" Nesirus asked.

Tsau's eyes set on Nesirus and Zhao. Blackwell must've been in a different room, but he didn't care. The figure standing beside the two immediately caught his eye. The dark figure stood with his back turned and arms crossed. The Necromortalis.

"Shall we proceed?" it asked in a twisted voice.

Nesirus shook his head. "Not against Tsau's friends…I mean, 'colleagues.' Take out the trade routes on the north end of Southern America."

The Necromortalis uncrossed his arms and walked through the walls, leaving the scene.

"How did you manage to get it to work for _you_?" Tsau asked him. "I always thought the Necromortalis was a rogue entity."

Nesirus smiled. "If there's one thing I know in my short lifetime, it's that anything can be brought to reason."

"Excluding you, right?" Tsau asked with a smirk.

"Do you want to know something about this long quest you have decided to take, Tsau?" Nesirus asked, ignoring his comment.

"What's that?"

Nesirus paced around the room. "Everything. It was all a setup from the beginning, Tsau. With some minor turbulence, of course."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain. You just listen," Drak began. "I was not born, or raised at all. Everything you remember up to age 22, I remember, as well. Your relationship with Izzi, your murderous appetite, everything. I was 'born' in a facility. One day, I just woke up, and I was you, without knowing so. I wondered why I woke in such an odd facility, where the walls were completely white, where everyone dressed accordingly like inmates, where the only thing I could remember was that I was somebody, but nobody at the same time. Then the doors opened. Two men came in and tried to drag me away. I ended up killing both of them, single-handedly. Like a rookie who has killed for the first time, I stared into the face of death with a sudden shock, but oddly, it didn't feel too bad, as if I was used to it. Who was I?

"I stepped out into the hallway, murdering every single guard and person dressed like me, and they even looked like me. I then made it into the room of the man…my father. He was quite impressed that I had made it that far…that I had murdered every single one of my _brothers_. Then, he told me that I was created. Tsau…I was created by the Executives based on your very moves, actions, attitudes, and personalities, but I was an 'imperfect copy,' my father told me. The other duplicates of you were completely well-behaved, as in they would do as they were told. He told me I was inferior to the real person, meaning _you_, and that I was a mistake by having all of the weaker bits of your persona. He didn't appreciate me, and treated me as if I was an object, but he underestimated one thing about me. I learned faster than any other of my copies, I had the ability to love, to hate, to kill. I murdered my creator. My name, itself, is an anagram of yours. Drak Nesirus becomes Dark Sunrise. Dark Sunrise is Tsau Nu Tua."

"How did the Executives create you?" Tsau asked. "And why would they try to create someone else exactly like _me_?"

"They have access to some…surreal tools," Nesirus smirked. "You're the perfect killer, Tsau. It was written for you to be that way."

"It was written…" Tsau said in disbelief. "No one writes my destiny."

He chuckled. "Weren't you listening to me? The Executives had almost everything planned out! They choose several children to walk a dangerous path, and the strongest that come out, they'll study. From the moment that you came into the spotlight as an assassin, they began studying you. You were successful. They wanted you by their side as their most valuable asset, but you were hard to reach."

"And what does this have to do with the Necromortalis?" Tsau said in a deep tone.

"You recall murdering each servant of the Angel of Death?" Drak asked. Tsau's eyes hinted at the possible memory. "Of course you do. They were always near you, Tsau."

"And just…who _are_ these Executives?"

Nesirus continued to explain. "They're a symbol. A symbol for complete control. They can tell the outcome of every battle…of every choice a political leader makes. The men behind that symbol of Executives are formed into a committee called the Tablet of Wisdom. I don't know, and I don't care how many they are, but I just know that they represent and comprise the Executives.

"They know everything, they see everything. They've been watching over you for quite some time, but they've been watching me, as well. I left the facility a few years later…in flames. For many years all I could think about was you…a sort of obsession, but I soon found out that I just really hated the Executives. But…there is one thing that could not have been predicted. Something none of the Executives could have guessed. You submitted yourself to the cause of the Angel of Death, and they knew that the Necromortalis was an asset they were still trying to acquire. This saved you from being within their grasp."

"Why the hell should I care who the Executives are?" Tsau said. "They seem to be doing quite well with the world at the moment."

"You should know, Tsau, you are still working for them unofficially," Nesirus stated.

"How so?"

Nesirus laughed a bit. "As of right now, the Executives want me dead, and since I have control of the Necromortalis, who better to send than the last servant of the Angel? Who better to send than a man who wants his complete salvation? They sent you here to kill all of us. You've already killed the Atrocity, the Predatory, and the Psychosis; some of the top soldiers that they desired in the past. They want you to kill me, to kill Zhao, and to kill Blackwell. You've certainly been doing a good job so far, Tsau."

Tsau's mind spun in disbelief. These words that were being spoken to him sent him in a state of speechlessness.

"People like us…" Tsau spoke. He remembered the words of the Psychosis, and his place in the world. "We…aren't meant to be used like tools."

"The Executives have done a fine example with you," Nesirus countered.

"Let me talk to him for awhile," Zhao stated. Nesirus looked at him, then walked out of the room.  
"Tsau," Zhao then said, stepping forward to talk. "I understand what you are going throu—"

"—Don't," Tsau cut him off. "I don't need your false sympathy."

"Did you actually think that I sent you off to be killed?" Zhao asked. "I could never have done that. I never wanted your death…because you weren't ready to join me, so I let you go. I ordered my soldier to set you free. You were not meant for this kind of life, and it hurts me to this day that I see you murder."

Tsau had a bitter face. "It's what you always wanted."

"I didn't want you to become a tool, Tsau. You see, we're at square one again. The empire is under the command of the Executives. You say that you don't want to be controlled, then we are the answer," Zhao explained. "In this world, there is no good…no evil…there are only men who fight men. The door swings both ways, and you should know this by now."

"So what is the _real_ purpose of having me here?"

"This is place for soldiers, Tsau," Zhao said. "My goals now reach beyond the empire. I envision a world where people like us will always have a place. We don't belong in society, we belong in battle. We are born to live, but we're bred to kill. Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, and all of the other pirates are tipping past their era. The world cannot spare any more time on them, but there's always a place for someone like you in the world."

"You preach to me as if I'm a child," Tsau said.

Zhao unhooked Tsau from being locked. "I'll give you a choice. If you plan to join us, you can forget everything that happened in the past. We can spare your colleagues. We can do anything, so long as our ultimate goal is to eliminate the Executives. The onus of liberation is still mine, Tsau."

"And if I don't?" Tsau asked.

"Then we'll let you go back to your friends, provided that we'll engage in battle, _with_ the Necromortalis. The situation has already been explained to Jack. Did you honestly think we captured him so easily? Jack came to _us_."

Tsau stood there and looked at his former mentor for a long hard moment. "I need that chest."

"Is that all you ever think about?" Zhao said. He then rolled his eyes. "Nesirus is planning to destroy the Necromortalis after its purpose has been fulfilled. You can do it."

"Just like that?" Tsau said.

"You can't trust me, Tsau," Zhao replied. "I know that you won't. But you have no other choice but to believe me. I'll let you go for now, and give you a day to think about it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Tsau…I feel what you're feeling, you know? I always thought I was fighting for my country, my empire…but why are they the enemy? Tzu Tang Chuan is a crooked emperor. I hear he's in some business with Europeans. It doesn't matter. I know that I'm not alive unless I'm in battle…so I guess I'll just find my own reason to fight. You think I'm crazy, huh? Heh."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_"Tsau? You still there? Why do you keep staring into space like that?! That's weird. Is your father still teaching kung-fu or what? Anyway…times are changing, aren't they? Everything is feeling like it's spinning out of control. Everyone is changing. But you…I know that you won't, change, right Tsau? It's okay. I won't either."_

_"Tsau, do you love me?"_

_"I said, do you love the sea?"_

**Ooh, what is up with that???? I'm sure you're wondering what is going on through his mind right now. Next chap will be up soon!**


	25. An Assassin's Gambit

**First of all, I would like to apologize dearly to all the readers out there. I've been so busy the past 3 weeks, and I am sincerely sorry for the very long delay. Of course, I hope you haven't lost interest x.x…anyway, here's Chapter 25. It's been dreadful not having time to get the story done.**

**Chapter 25: An Assassin's Gambit**

Zi played around with the trigun. It was the only thing handed from Tsau that helped her remember him. What could they be doing to him? She felt sick, because it was she that didn't stop him…she didn't even attempt to go after him when they were in the cave. And it is quite odd that Blackwell let them go. Perhaps they were sparing the Dutchman and Pearl for later. The two ships were stationed on the island Jack spoke of when they were back in the cave.

"Do not submit into poignancy, love," Jack said from behind.

Zi stood up from her stool and stood in a salute-like form. "Captain, I'm sorry, I was just…thinking. It won't bother me."

"Aye, he was a good man," said Gibbs from behind Jack.

"A genuine person, indeed," Pintel added, mopping the deck. "Couldn't have survived a day wit'out 'im."

She shook her head and sighed. "No, no," and she stood up, looking at the people around her. Jack and the Pearl crew, Will, Elizabeth, Bill…but no Tsau. Only 3 days of his absence and the world seems to have turned upside down. Tsau knew what to do. He knew the exact direction that they should head towards. "Tsau is a man that doesn't change…a man that doesn't need to. And in order to press onward, sacrifices must be made. I'm just going to have to live with it."

Elizabeth then looked at Jack. "So, what shall the plan be? You lied to us regarding the chest, therefore we'll have to devise a scheme."

"Yeah, Jack," Zi spoke. "What are we going to do?"

Jack looked over towards Barbossa. "They cannot afford the death of Tsau, for he is a significant playing card in this. It is likely that they will try to negotiate him for the dagger."

"So…you haven't answered my question," Elizabeth stated.

"I'm getting there, thank-you-very-much-for-interrupting-me," Jack retorted. "If I know Blackwell, he'll probably discover us earlier than we do him. Let me negotiate with him when they find us."

She raised an eyebrow and gave Jack a suspecting look. "What do you mean, 'when they find us'?"

"They plan to destroy the Necromortalis…or so they told me," Jack replied noticeably.

Elizabeth and the others looked over to Barbossa, who seemed to look a way as if this wasn't any of his business. "What _happened_ while we were gone?"

A wave of silence pummeled the aura, and the tipping point of suspicion stung the allies. The alliance between the two ships were shaky, and the shady deals behind each other's backs were showing through. Barbossa and Jack drew their guns and pointed them at the members of the Dutchman crew.

"We be needin' that dagger now, missy," Barbossa said.

Elizabeth backed away, almost completely surprised by the sudden change in the air.

The Dutchman's captain gave a soft, unimpressed grin. "Why am I not surprised, Jack?"

"Because you're a eunuch," Jack replied provokingly.

The statement was followed with Will pulling out the sack that held his heart that was strapped to his item belt. He pulled out his gun and pointed at the heart. Jack and Barbossa backed away slightly in hidden shock, with their guns in a hinted tremble. Elizabeth looked at her husband with wide eyes, and so did the crew. The united crews were now divided into two, exchanging glances at their former comrades.

"If I die, the Dutchman dies," Will stated, standing valiantly in front of his crew. "My men will be free, and everything will disappear."

Jack released a cocky smirk. "It's not worth it, William. You realize that when you unload that bullet, you'll be abandoning your wife and dear child to eternal loneliness?"

"If killing myself brings peace to my family as a result, I am more than willing to apprehend this method," Will stated firmly.

"Well, I guess you'll be doin' all of us a favor, then," Jack expressed in sarcasm half-soberly.

Will then pointed the gun at Jack and pulled the hammer on the flintlock backwards. "…or I could kill you and spare everyone another moment of stupidity."

Jack stared down the barrel and showed his teeth in disgust. "I'm Immortal Captain Jack Sparrow, mate."

"The gift of immortality does not include invincibility," Will smirked. "This bullet will penetrate your skull with ease."

"Jack?" Zi asked, looking out towards the sea.

Jack kept a strong gaze on Will. "But I know you won't pull the trigger."

"You'd be impressed how far I am willing to traverse," Will said, keeping his gun aimed at the pirate.

"Jack!" Zi repeated.

"What?!" Jack replied loudly, looking over at her.

Zi pointed out towards the sea, where two ships were floating in their direction. Jack walked towards the shipside to look forward. He pulled out a spectroscope and examined the sails on the encroaching ships. Glancing in that direction, Will lowered his weapon and watched. The sudden silence in the air caused an excessive amount of anxiety, and the tension began to rise. Breaths drew faster, body heat increased, and even some people trembled.

The Dutchman's captain smiled again. "That's Blackwell's navy, and he's coming for _us_."

"I shall devise a plan, then," Jack mumbled under his breath.

When the ship was close enough, Jack could see a small figure in white standing on the ships. "Of course…it is Blackwell's messenger."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I bring a message from our Lord Blackwell," the messenger said. The two crews looked at him suspiciously, with the tension nearing its breaking point. "He is willing to spare you the decree of piracy through the surrender of the Dagger of Black Death."

Zi did not speak at them, with her eyes glancing around the opposing ships, trying to figure out where Tsau was. Jack said he saw him, but now he's gone.

Jack smiled. "And the Dutchman?"

"The Captain of the Dutchman will remain as incumbent," the messenger answered.

"Come back when you have a more appropriate deal," Zi said to the messenger.

The messenger smiled and turned around. "There are other methods to attain that dagger."

"Tsau?" Zi asked. "…as a bargaining chip, right?"

"Tsau is not present," the messenger replied automatically. "It does not matter. However…the Reaper has undergone a few…changes of heart."

Zi's eyes widened as she stepped forward, in front of the conflicting captains. "What have you done to him?!"

He smirked. "Us? Oh, no. Not us. What he has done _for himself_."

"I don't understand. Why?"

"Why? Well…he is—"

Catching the man off guard, Zi immediately pulled out her trigun and unloaded a bullet into the brazen messenger. He let out a breath of blood and dropped to his knees as she shot him two more times. The navy men that accompanied him all lifted their weapons, and proceeded to pull their triggers, along with the same reaction by the pirates. A swift arm of halt ceased their muscular contractions completely, and no shots from the navy were returned, although the tension was still heavy, with guns ready to strike at any moment. The captain of the ship lowered his arm and stepped up ahead of the dead messenger.

"No more bloodshed is necessary," he said. "If you do not wish to trade, then I shall deliver the news to Lord Blackwell."

In almost a heartbeat, the men were ready to leave, but footsteps stopped the rhythm. A hooded man stepped out of the cabin and made his way slowly towards the wooden plank. The faint Falcon insignia imprinted on the coat was still there, and he looked like nothing had changed. The sense of temporary victory was somewhat distracted completely by his entrance.

"There is no why," Tsau spoke deeply, referring to Zi's last statement. "And nothing is needed to be understood."

"Why?" Zi asked again, un-holstering the gun. "Why are you doing this? Why side with them?"

"You're a pirate," Tsau stated with his unchanged expression. "You of all people should know that the world is not just black and white. Everything is a shade of gray. You should really thank Jack for saving your asses."

Zi shook her head after glancing at him. "I don't care what Jack has done. He still carries the decency to spare lives—"

"—says the person who just shot an unarmed messenger," Tsau caustically spoke. "…the same person who shot an overwhelmingly attractive female assassin. You have certainly done quite a bit for yourself, Izzi."

"Only Tsau calls me Izzi," Zi replied in denial, almost at a complete loss for words. "I don't know who this person is."

"You knew this was coming," Tsau said. "I've already told you this before we split up to look for Jack and the chest. I even said that 'you knew this was coming'…"

She shook her head. "I never expected you to be like this. _You _were the one who benevolently volunteered to help us. Why?"

"Again, with that question," he said annoyingly. "Pawns are always a delight. There was always something in it for me."

"We asked many times," Elizabeth asked, stepping in front of her son. "You never answered. The moment feels appropriate."

Tsau looked down, then back up. "That letter. The one from under the piano. I knew everything about it…what to do, why it should be done, but I couldn't get past the how, because you all were in my way."

"Meaning…?"

"I am the Fifth of the Third. The Fifth servant of the Angel of Death. I undertook the duty to restore the natural order of death, which is why the Necromortalis has been haunting me for the past two years.

"Why, you ask?" Tsau gave off a troubled smirk. "I am a killer. Throughout my lifetime, I've killed countless and countless of human beings; generations of mothers, fathers…then this talk of death came along. About natural order."

A moment of silence was evident, as the information sunk in to those who never knew.

"So you're doing this for the Captain of the Dutchman?" Zi asked. "You're doing this for natural order?"

Tsau shook his head and scowled. "No. I'm doing this for myself. The Angel of Death grants the one who restores it anything they wish."

"Then I suppose said Angel can grant me the Dutchman," Jack muttered.

"No," Tsau sharply said. "That is where the line stops, and that is why I need the dagger."

Will put away his pistol. "What are you hoping to receive from this?"

The Falcon looked down and shut his eyes in a state of disturbed tranquility. "Salvation," and with those words, the three captains and Elizabeth were taken aback, while it was everything Zi expected to hear. "I do not even know if I can be saved anymore…but it's the only shred of hope I have left."

"You don't have to do this," Zi said. "Salvation should not be given through a duty."

"I am _tired_, Izzi," Tsau replied with a sense of hurt behind his voice. The composure that once surrounded him dissolved. "Tired of fighting. I can no longer stand running away from the trouble that follows me. I can no longer stand how death is breathing right behind my shoulder. I have been praying to God the past five years…and he isn't answering me, so now I'm going to take my fate into my own hands. It is all I have left.

"Now…you have two options. Hand me the dagger or I'll take it," Tsau said abruptly. The intimidation in his voice caused the tension to rise even faster.

A slow pause delayed the ensuing moment.

Jack swiftly pulled his pistol and pointed it at Will. "I think I'll be leaving here with that dagger, eunuch."

The sound of the hammer clicking backwards caused Jack to look down below, and the sight of the gun barrel pointed toward his crotch sent a chill down his spine.

"I wonder if you will still make eunuch remarks after I pull the trigger," Will replied.

Barbossa then pointed two pistols at the both of them. "I'm afraid I must be doin' me own work now, laddies. The Dagger and the Dutchman will be under Commodore Barbossa."

Elizabeth then came in with a pistol behind Barbossa. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Jack pointed a second pistol at her. "Just to be safe, love."

From behind, Tsau held up a trigun at Jack and his blade towards Elizabeth. "I'm not playing any games here. Don't expect me to spare you like a friend would."

"I wouldn't, either," Zi spoke, holding the trigun to the back of her friend's head.

"That's it," Tsau spoke in encouragement, but his voice soon died into seriousness. "But…just how far are you willing to go to stop me?"

Zi had trouble grasping her focus. The gun began to shake.

"Tsau…don't do this," she stated redundantly. "You don't want to do this."

"Desire is irrelevant," Tsau said.

Zi's composure began to fracture. "Why, Tsau?! Why are you so loyal to that…that Nesirus?!"

"Who says I'm with Nesirus?" Tsau stated. "There's only one person I dedicate my complete loyalty to. If I have to kill you…"

"—you would have done it already," Zi cut him off.

The explosion of collision took the breath out of the pirates as an object smashed into the Pearl, killing off a few of the overseas bandits. Cannonfire, but who? An echo from far away pummeled the navy, and the standoff between the dagger-hunters broke off as they tried to regain their balance.

Gibbs looked far into the distance, and spotted a completely black ship. Undead roars could be faintly heard, and in front of the wild undead beasts stood a cloaked being, stable and composed, and looked like it commanded the ship. The Necromortalis.

"Cap'n! Cap'n!"

Jack stood up. "I know! Retrieve that dagger first!"

As Jack scurried clumsily around to get to the dagger, he went over to Zi and kneeled beside her.

"Where is it?! Where is it?!" he asked in a state of panic.

"No!" Zi exclaimed, shaking her head.

Jack pulled out his pistol and pulled the hammer backwards. "Come on now, love. Show me where it is!"

Another cannonball sank into the ship, and supplies scattered all over the top deck.

He stood up and yelled out to his crew, "Return fire, you scallywags! A premature death is not wanted! No one sinks my damn ship!"

The crew immediately stood up and went to work, along with the navy, fighting against the untamed Necromortalis. Jack scanned the deck hopelessly, but a glimpse of the black dagger brought his hopes up. As he drew closer, he could already feel the Dutchman in his hands. He reached for it, but in one swift swoop, it was gone from the floor. Jack looked up and saw the Falcon swinging on a rope, with the dagger in his hands. On the ark back down, Tsau sheathed the dagger and landed back down on the far side of the deck. As he stood back up, the hammer click could be heard, and he turned to face Elizabeth. In an act of deception, he pretended to look behind her as if the black ship was about to return fire, and she took the bait, turning to look at what was behind her. At the blink of an eye, Tsau's arm promptly knocked her arm away, causing the gun to fly out of her grip at the expense of a misfired gunshot.

Bill watched in awe as the assassin quickly scaled up the mast and flew onto one of the ropes effortlessly, with the momentum into the direction of the navy ship. Tsau's swing was short-lived, however, as another gunshot hit the rope he swung on right as he gripped it. Looking at the shooter, Bill watched his dad toss the navy rifle and draw his sword, awaiting Tsau's arrival from the air. Tsau landed safely and spotted the captain of the Dutchman. Drawing his blade and the dagger, Tsau clashed with the captain and initiated a swordfight. After blocking a few attacks, Will defended another one, but this time delivered by Barbossa. While the three fought rigorously for the dagger, Jack jumped into the fight as well, engaging into a four man duel. The presence of the Necromortalis came closer, and the sky began to darken and cloud up. Rain began to fall hard within a matter of minutes. As they traded blows and utilized most of the deck, Jack split off from Tsau and Will and fought against Barbossa. Will was still fighting against Tsau, and the two seemed equally matched in their blade skills.

"How often do you practice?" Will asked, ducking and dodging Tsau's quick strokes.

"Enough," Tsau replied. "You?"

"I used to practice 3 hours a day," he said, colliding with Tsau. "With the abundance of time on the Dutchman, I practice 5 hours."

Tsau engaged in a powers struggle with Will as the two had their blades up in opposition, forcing their strengths onto one another.

"Practice does not give you experience," Tsau said as Will began to overpower him. "I have experience."

The purposeful weakening of Tsau in the power struggle caused Will to have a hint of underestimation, which opened up for a surprise. Tsau planted his feet firmly on the ground and exploded upwards, throwing Will off his balance, and cut him across the abdomen in the process.

Will stood back up, drenched in the rain, and inspected his wound. "You fool. I am invincible."

Tsau held up the dagger that had blood stains on it. "This disproves it."

A sharp, piercing pain overwhelmed the Dutchman's captain. The Dagger of Black Death nullifies his invulnerability, and now a significant loss of hope overcame him.

"Are you going to kill me?" Will asked with his hand over his cut. It was not deep, although Will wondered if Tsau purposefully made it that way.

Tsau shook his head. "I'm not under contract to kill you. Get in my way again, and I shall do so."

Bill rushed over to his father, along with Elizabeth, and watched as the assassin rushed towards the navy ship. The troops on the ship were already fighting against the undead forces.

"Will…what happened?" Elizabeth asked.

Will sat up and watched Tsau. "The dagger hurts."

The son kept a close eye on his father, then looked back up. "Maria! She's still in the cabin somewhere!"

"The girl," Will acknowledged. He stood up and started walking towards the Dutchman. "We must save her, then."

Elizabeth helped her husband on the small trip towards his ship.

Tsau shoved and hacked his way through the undead soldiers and even some of the opposing navy. As he stared through the chaos, the being on the other end gave him a menacing look. It appears that the Necromortalis just couldn't resist not fighting Tsau. Drawing his blade, Tsau watched as the Necromortalis unsheathed a black rapier. They began to make their way towards one another, killing off any opposition in their path.

"I've beaten myself," Tsau spoke under his breath. "Now I can beat **you**."

In Tsau's mind, this was the opportune moment. Will Turner's blood was on the dagger, cleansed by the blood of its liberator, and he was now ready to finish off the monster that has been haunting him for the past three years. But the Necromortalis knew that restoring the natural order was out of the question here.

"We shall see…" the Necromortalis spoke in a twisted voice.

The true liberator is sitting behind a desk, reviewing some battle plans right now. Governor Blackwell. The foolish, young Falcon will be the cause of his own demise.

**Once again, I am sorry to the readers out there for the looooong delay. Following this delay, I'll try to get more time to work on the story on the weekend, because the story is nearing its end. Uh…please review if you can. Thanks for being patient.**


	26. The Dividing Line

**Yep, another long period of time before I posted this. Err…WARNING!!!!...Tsau officially drops the F-bomb in this chapter. You'll see. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 26: The Dividing Line**

"The Necromortalis is engaging Tsau, sir," a soldier said.

Blackwell sipped lightly on his tea. "I'm not worried."

"If Tsau dies, then how will you explain it to—"

"Tsau is a survivor," Blackwell insisted. "Don't raise your voice on this issue again."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau stumbled backwards and tried to catch his breath. Why wasn't the dagger working? The Necromortalis drew its serpent-like tentacles back into its dark base, and the burning dagger wounds healed slowly. It looked up to the sky and roared loudly through the pouring rain, and its dark, serpent-like tentacles tingled in the air, as if they had a life of their own. Dodging and evading, Tsau managed to avoid every blow his opponent sent at him. The cuts with the dagger seemed to hurt, but not enough to kill. The two serpents that slithered into the air from each shoulder struck like bees, stinging and waiting for Tsau's move. Tsau was knocked off his feet when his feet caught the end of a net.

Standing up, cursing his clumsiness, Tsau looked carefully into his enemy. The same one that used Tsau's own fear against him, but this time, there was no fear. The confrontations in the past have wiped away every sense of fear left in him. Trying to think of a plan, Tsau knew that he still had a job to do. The serpents knocked him backwards and he smashed into several crates. Rain still poured and the fight still raged, but there was no victory here. Tsau spat out some blood and tried to regain his vision.

The Falcon stood up and sheathed the dagger. There was no way that he could win, because he obviously calculated something wrong. He had to run again.

And there was fear.

The fear of no salvation seared the air, and the Necromortalis let out another roar, for the trepidation that could be felt everywhere fueled its motivation. Tsau rushed past the navy men quickly and efficiently, shoving away those who were in his path in an attempt to head back to the Pearl, because the enemy was overwhelming. Flying past the chaos, Tsau grabbed the rope along the way and swung back towards the other ships, only to find out that they were already heading out to sea, but why? Didn't they want the dagger? He knew that he could still make it, and the two ships were the only safe place at the moment, although potential confrontations will definitely arise amongst him and the captains. Jack and Barbossa were still dueling.

Releasing the rope at the perfect angle, Tsau launched himself far over the wild, untamed water and barely made it onto the Pearl with a rough landing. Skidding along the damp wood and smashing into a few crates, Tsau's mind went blank as the rough collision managed to knock the air out of him. Getting up to regain his vision, he examined his body to see if any wood stakes had pierced him then brushed himself clean. He was suddenly struck in the back of the head by the butt of a pistol. After Zi pistol-whipped him, he finally collapsed to the wood floor, his body lifeless and inert. She inspected him for the dagger, noticed that he was still in possession of it, and snatched it from him. She also saw that he was suffering from a deep wound around the abdomen, possibly from the Necromortalis. Zi was finally forced to make a decision. Should she help him or not?

The Necromortalis stared at the escaping ship as the rest of its undead legion murdered off the navy men. There was no way it would return back to Nesirus. It defied an order, and now it is on its own.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth kindled the candle which released a soft glow inside the ship's cabin, revealing the darkness of the hard, seemingly damp wood floors. A day had already passed. Tsau had been shivering all night in his cell from the day they captured him, so she decided to bring him a blanket; it was the least she could do for him. After all, he's already done so much for them…or was it for himself? Everything known about Tsau was now ambiguous, she thought. Lightly inserting the metal key into the lock, she twisted it slowly and opened the creaking metal door. Shutting it discreetly, she made her way over to him and wrapped the blanket over his shirtless body, since Jack and the others made sure he didn't have his wristblade or any other weapon. She sat by him and stared at him for a moment, first with a sense of sorrow and relation with him, but her feelings soon turned to pity.

"There is no why," he spoke. "But why…why are you doing this for me?"

"Because…" she found it difficult to reply. "You helped us…"

Tsau could already tell that she didn't really mean to say that, but he didn't care, and in fact, he honestly did not know what to think right now. "Sounds valid enough."

Elizabeth waited a few more moments, taking his slight openness with caution. "And there has to be a reason why you are fighting, right? For the dagger, I mean. You didn't kill Will."

A reason why you're fighting…a simple question that requests so much personal response. Tsau gave it a hard thought, but after that waste of mind energy, he concluded that he never really had one.

"I…I don't know," he finally confessed sincerely. "I never really knew why I was fighting. There was no reason. All I know is that I'm good at it, and people can use me as a tool however they please. From this perspective, Zhao should be considered a hero…he was my mentor. He taught me to fight against the control—the shady business of the government. I've become everything I've been taught to fight against."

He sat up and looked forward, listening to the sound of the ocean waves.

"And that's why you could never answer us," she said. "Who are you then, Tsau?"

Tsau put on a bitter smile and swallowed that question with trouble. "I'm no one. Tsau…the Reaper…The Legendary White Falcon...nothing. There is an idea of a Tsau, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real Tsau. All there is left is the motivation to strive towards my ultimate goal."

"You're willing to go far, aren't you?"

He looked like he shut his eyes. "I don't even know if it is real anymore."

"Zi is right, however," Elizabeth said cautiously, hoping not to anger him. "You have a choice."

"No," Tsau said. "My conscience denies choice. Not only am I going to have to seal the Necromortalis…I have to finish off Zhao, too."

"Why must you resort to murder?"

Tsau looked out the small window across from them and watched the small bit of evening sky he could see. "I am a killer…always have been. Once you taste blood, it changes you forever. It's been a part of my diet since day one as a murderer. You might ask me what killing is worth. I wouldn't know, because I never had any other choice. I was bred to kill, to murder since birth…and I just didn't know it. Taking a man's life…all I can say is that it is so easy, but so much more difficult than one might imagine."

She listened intently to him, taking in his words with growing emotions behind them. Somehow, she didn't feel like talking much, because he seemed to have a lot to say, and she wanted to know. "I'm very sorry…"

As they conversed, Zi had already snuck up from behind the doorway and eavesdropped on their conversation, listening intently to Tsau's words.

"I don't need your pity," Tsau spoke. "My purpose is why I cannot function. Why I cannot make lasting friendships. Why I cannot survive on money alone. Why I am always used to do the dirty work. Why I cannot return Zi's love."

From the doorway, Zi put her hand to her mouth in faint emotional shock. She tried to absorb the latter of his statement. Her eyes started to water as she sat down against the wall.

"And sharing your feelings for her in bed meant nothing?" she asked him in slight anger. "Why did you do it in the first place if you were not supposed to love her?"

Tsau looked away. "I was…uncontrollable. I shouldn't have allowed myself to do that."

"...but you _do_ love her, don't you?"

"I am chained to this life," he stated emotionlessly, looking at her deeply. "This is a path that I find I cannot veer away from."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. What about all that talk with controlling your destiny and fate? You…you can't just throw it away."

"I wish I could believe that."

"Don't be foolish, Tsau," she firmly countered. "You're not all bad."

"—yes I am," he retorted. "I wouldn't last a day in my line of work if I wasn't all bad."

The Pirate King wished she could have said something to affect him, but found nothing. She stood up, said a quick meaningful goodbye, and walked out the door, missing Zi along the way. She forgot to lock the prison cell.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now that we have Tsau, what shall the plan be?" Will asked the next morning. "He's working with them now, is he not?"

Elizabeth shook her head, setting a hand on the captain's table. The room was filled with all of the captains and important figures from nearby vicinities. Shipwreck Cove was quiet this morning, but were they ready for a small war? "He stated confidently that he was not working for them. Perhaps a temporary mutual agreement?"

"No matter," Jack replied, standing up on the floor of the Dutchman. "At least they no longer have him."

"I propose war," one of the captains stated.

"Shut up," Sparrow responded.

Elizabeth looked at the captain. "What other way is there to obtain the chest, then?"

"I propose, considering the situation with our assassin and his former mentor, that we trade him for the chest," Jack answered.

"They don't want Tsau," Will informed.

Jack sauntered past the captains and thought for a moment, playing with his dreadlocks. "Is he not a valuable commodity to them?"

"They **don't** want Tsau," the Dutchman's captain repeated. "I'm sure their situation did not change with him."

"They'll be far worse off without him," Jack countered, leaning lazily against the wall.

Barbossa grunted. "I am still waitin' for a suggestion."

"I'm not the one betraying co-conspirators, Hector," he wittingly replied. Jack was starting to get impatient, however, and wanted to come up with a plan, fast.

"Enough," the Pirate King ordered. "I suppose we have enough in numbers to distract Nesirus's small army. During the battle, the dagger must be used to its reason."

Jack shook his head almost bitterly. "I'm not sure you understand, love. I want this ship."

"Have it," Will said, causing others to be taken aback. "I just want my life back."

The immortal captain of the Black Pearl gave off a cocky smirk. "Then we shall prepare."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau threw on his Falcon coat and strapped on the remainder of his equipment. That foolish Elizabeth left the door unlocked, and even worse, ajar. Almost smirking, the assassin knew that she would do something idiotic if he applied the appropriate amount of emotional tension. Throwing his hood over his head, a small pause ensued as he thought about what he said to her. He found it odd that she just listened to him, not caring about anything else for the moment. Few people do that. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he carried his knapsack and stormed out the holds, heading up to the main deck.

Oddly enough, he discovered that he was in some sort of a cove, with extremely high walls. Amazingly, it seemed like a very large fortress. Pirates from all over the world traveled within the fortress structure. Gazing at the scenery for another few moments, he began to walk towards the escape boats. Hopefully, no one cared if you left or came through.

"Running off again?" Zi's voice said from behind. She was mopping the top deck with her hat hung low. "Without the dagger?"

Tsau did not turn around. "I have other methods."

Zi gave a bittersweet grin under her hat, but it was invisible to everything. "Go ahead. I won't stop you."

Hastily, he began to work the rope that held the boat up. Tsau awkwardly found himself waiting for her to tell him to stay, or at least stop him.

"…and why is that?" he found himself asking. Tsau mentally slapped himself for being inclined to reply to her statement.

"It is obvious," she said. "Even if I tried to stop you, I'd be dead in a few seconds."

"You don't know that," he told her.

Zi continued to mop. "You don't have the heart to spare anyone."

Tsau took her comment bitterly. She didn't care about him anymore. It is definitely the way Tsau's mind wanted it, but somewhere inside he ached; some sort of invisible, irritable pain that the assassin couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Perhaps," he said. "It would be imperative that I leave no witnesses."

"Then maybe you should kill me," said Zi.

Tsau untied a few knots on the rowboat. "I don't waste bullets."

"Or you're afraid," she suggested.

He scoffed under his breath. "What the hell would I be afraid of?"

"Being human," she simply stated. "You're afraid of life, of failing, of love…most of all, yourself."

"I wouldn't know," he replied.

A moment passed as Tsau continued to untie the boat and place his belongings in there. Zi was thinking deeply about him, and forgot that she mopped the same spot for another few minutes. The fear of asking him the wrong question spawned butterflies in her stomach, but she decided to spew it out anyway.

"…what is your problem, Tsau?" Zi finally asked. "What's with you?"

Tsau looked over his shoulder callously, still keeping his back to her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean if someone had a gun to your head and asked you to tell them what this person was thinking…what…what would you do?" she clarified, trying to find the appropriate words. "They would have to kill you because you wouldn't care…you wouldn't know what anyone else was feeling or thinking. I mean, you can't even provide a valid reason why you kill. You can't even support, or like something, or even hate something. You are only driven by your duty—so driven by your loyalty to your work, not yourself or what you feel. The Psychosis was right about you; people like you are the true evil in this world. Only insipid beings like you could ever be considered to do the dirty work."

The White Falcon lowered the boat down into the water slowly, seemingly unaffected by her piercing comments. Another moment passed. Inside, Tsau felt completely cornered to where his deepest fears lie. He walked up to her, but she didn't look up.

"Look at me," he demanded discreetly. She finally managed to look at him. "Simple pirate outfit, a cutlass, and a hat. Tell me, what are you planning to do here? Someday? Someday you might find it? Perhaps you could've saved your parents, but you didn't, and now you're on this ship, looking for some form of liberation from your personal issues…but to what avail? Then I come along, and maybe, just maybe you could bring me to love you, but I have changed, and no matter how hard you tried, you could never bring me back. Somewhere, 10 years later, you'll have pushed your failures so far back into your memory that you decide that you couldn't have changed me anyway—until you completely zone out into your Fountain of Youth immortality…and you'll have nothing. Don't you dare talk to me about goals and murder. This whole time you're trying to help others, but you can't even help yourself…so what the fuck are you still doing here?"

She stared at him speechlessly.

Tsau turned around and hopped down the ship to the small boat, immediately rowing away. No visual emotion lay under the hood that covered his expressionless face. At certain points, Zi thought that a relationship could work between them, and that their paths crossing would eventually intertwine. She was wrong. Tsau cannot change, and will not change. This was the dividing line…the point of no return. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued to mop the floor.

**So sad…so sad…but this is how it has to be. What'll happen next?**


	27. Minutes to Midnight

**Here's chapter 27, which was already under development after 26. It's fairly short, however, but should keep you guys on your toes before the next ones. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 27: Minutes to Midnight**

"Are you ready for liberty?" Nesirus asked Zhao. "Once we finish off the Necromortalis, I shall order the Angel of Death to obtain a list of names for me—the names of The Executives!"

Zhao nodded, but kept quiet.

"You're still concerned about Tsau," Nesirus said. "Don't worry about him. I will deal with him personally. They couldn't have killed him."

"I shall face him in battle," Zhao said. "It was as if we were ordered back onto the battlefield…except that we're on different sides."

Nesirus chuckled. "My counterpart has little battle experience anyway. Tsau didn't kill anyone while in the rebel forces, remember?"

Zhao looked at the man who resembled Tsau. "That's what Tsau doesn't _remember_. He had an accident during his years as a rebel fighter. One day we were scaling the rocks to get a vantage point on our enemies. I was supposed to look after him, and he slipped. His head smashed into one of the rocks, and was out for days."  
"You never told me this," Nesirus said. "So he has had prior battlefield experience."

"The best of my personal unit," Zhao boasted. "Tsau killed several men during small battles. He was a natural soldier. After his injury, he had forgotten all of his kills…but remembered his soldier training. However, he had changed. He couldn't face battle like he usually did, and never killed any more after that."

Tsau's counterpart scoffed and crossed his arms as the ship sailed slowly. "It does not matter. He is falling apart anyway. Killing him should be quite easy."

"They should be expecting us," Blackwell informed. "I recommend an advance in our troops. We are running out of time."

"Far ahead of you already, Augustus," replied Nesirus. "Our spies have found them near Shipwreck Cove."

Zhao, who still had Tsau on his mind, lightly smirked. "I'm guessing that they're using it as a base."

"Tsau is not with them," Nesirus then said. "With Jack's persuasion and reasoning, I'm sure that they will go out searching for him sooner or later. Tsau is most likely stationed at the nearby town, Shipwreck. It should make for an interesting battle. The docks are crowded with civilians."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you mean 'he's gone'?!" Jack exclaimed loudly. "Don't you realize that he was our only bargaining chip?! This is the last time I appoint any scoundrels to supervise my ship!"

Zi didn't reply and hung her head low.

"Now, how are we going to manage this situation?" Jack lowered his voice. "He is a threat to my—I mean, _our_ success."

Elizabeth finally remembered that she left the prison cell unlocked last night. After looking at Zi, she guessed that Tsau had a run-in with her right before he left. It must've been pretty bad. "Leave Tsau alone. He doesn't matter," she told him.

"I need…time," Zi finally said. She ambled unsteadily away and down to her cabin, leaving the rest of the crew members pondering what happened while they were busy deciding what to do.

"We don't need her on our minds at the moment," Elizabeth said. "I should talk to her later."

Jack then stormed into his captain's quarters, most likely on a journey for more rum.

Elizabeth turned to Will, who returned her gaze. "Whatever happens during the following day, I just want you to know that I love you."

Will smiled. "I know. That's why I want you to stay."

Her eyes widened. "What? I cannot stay, Will. You can't just—just make decisions like that!"

"You must stay with our son," Will said in a sorrowful tone. "He is quite busy with watching over that young lady from the burning ship."

"No, Will," Elizabeth firmly stated. "I love you. If you're going to die, I'm dying with you."

He rubbed his forehead stressfully. "Do this for _me_, please…"

Her eyes began to water. "I have. I waited 8 years for you. 8 years of loneliness, of independent parenting, of pain, of suffering. I've done my share, dear husband," she passionately stated, leaving painfully into the cabins.

Will sighed and went over to sit on a crate. This journey seemed long; perhaps too long. When will fate allow him his liberty? His freedom is getting closer by the minute, but at the same time, he is at a lost for hope.

Standing up, the captain began to make a quick journey back to his ship. "Tell her I love her," he told Gibbs. "I'm…not sure I'll see her again anytime soon."

"Aye, I shall, Cap'n Turner," Gibbs replied with a nod. "Do not worry. Mr. Cotton, Marty, and I will stay to watch over the Cove. She can stay with us."

"Thank you," he said gratefully. "And tell Sparrow I'll be at my ship. If he has any more ideas, please inform me right away."

"Aye, sir."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I'm no good man, no hero…never was…never will be. Just another killer…hired to clean up the trash._

Tsau opened his eyes as he rested silently on the bed. The state of inner conflict that brewed within in seemed to spark an unusual amount of ambivalence. The hotel beds were in fair condition. This part of town seemed to lack the attention of pirates, so no further killing—in self-defense, of course—would be necessary. Sitting up on his bed, he looked over to the small chair that was provided for him. The Falcon outfit was hung over the chair, along with his equipment.

_How does a good man decide __**when**__ to kill?_

Then he thought about what Zi said. It was the first time that any comment ever hurt him so much. All he did was listen to her. He stared at the Falcon outfit for just a bit longer. Although it was the clothing of sin, he knew that this piece of clothing was his pride. His work was his pride, his twisted peace, and at the same time, his curse.

_He doesn't choose when to kill. The time to kill chooses __**him**__. But…does he have a choice? Can he choose if he wants to kill or not?_

Tsau scoffed and laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with more thoughts floating in his mind. Even if he got what he wanted…even if he obtained salvation, what would he do? Where would he go? Was there any point?

_I won't expect a warm welcome from Zi and the others. All of the Falcons are gone. Hassan is gone. How do I start over? Can I even start over? I know what I am fighting for…but why am I fighting? I don't remember there being a point. What the hell am I supposed to do?_

He thought for a few more moments before a somewhat old saying finally hit him. The Necromortalis came to mind, and visions of it chasing him through the Persian streets came to his mind, notably the chase right before Hassan told him about the pirates of the Caribbean—before all of this started.

_Death is the only way out_

A smirk came to his face. Maybe the answer was right in front of him the whole time. He never even saw it, and it was right under his nose; just a memory pushed back far into his mind.

_Yes…perhaps this is the way it has to be. How did it know…no. It can't be true._

The way it had to be. Tsau was always one to challenge fate, but now that he thought about it, there was nothing to control. How did everything end up like this? Zi is officially angry at him, the pirates have forgotten his siding with them, Hassan is dead, the Falcons are dead, Ramadi was murdered by his own hands, and once again he is alone. He shook his head. He was always alone. There would be nothing to return back to after this ends. Tsau shut his eyes in hopelessness. The true fear behind everything was eating him up.

_There is a plan for us all…a contract with our name on it. Death truly is the way out. There's still a contract for Zhao and Blackwell._

Remembering about that contract, the Falcon reminisced about going through his bag once and finding it. Hassan must have left it there, but he denied it. It could have been the Executives. They seemed to be tracking Tsau's movements throughout his life. He should at least finish this contract, out of his dedication and pride in his work.

_Who are you kidding, Tsau? The Falcons have been totally eliminated. You are no longer the Reaper…no longer the legendary White Falcon. Aswad Mohit must be in a total uproar right now because of the lack of assassins. The poor shall have to steal again, the rich shall become corrupt again, and the city guard shall accept bribes…again._

"Die and let your sins be atoned," Tsau said. "Or live and fight your sins away."

Hassan's words floated in his mind irregularly, along with several other sayings by people he has met. All of the advice he was given, all of the experiences he had, and everything he has ever known seemed so insignificant all of a sudden, for the realization that he was an unmoving stone beside time brought out some of the worst emotions he had felt in a long time.

_"I have to talk to you about fate," Hassan said. "What do you think of it?"_

_"I think it's a load of crap," Tsau said. "I believe that us as men are free to do what we want."_

He chuckled at his memory. It was so odd how naïve he was back then, yet now that he's older and grown he still hasn't grown. A repetition of the same mistakes over and over again. Human intuition is trivial, and badly flawed. He wondered if he could still change. As he sat there and thought about who he used to be…could he ever forgive himself? Then, at that sudden moment, he finally questioned for the first time in his life.

_Why…?_

Never once did he question what he did or why he did it. Tsau was finally playing against his own philosophy.

"What am I doing here?!" he asked loudly towards the ceiling. The people downstairs couldn't hear. "All I wanted was my salvation…how much more do you want from me?!?"

He sat up and rested his forehead on his palm. "…how much more will you take from me…?"

"Oh, Zi…how the hell could I do that…"

Tsau struggled within himself for several longer minutes, letting out some of the frustration that resided in his head. After he finally calmed down, he sat on the bed and took a long breath.

_No…you're an assassin. You don't need to worry about these dilemmas. It's not your pain to bear. It's not your fault. You still have a job to do._

Returning to his normal, controlled state, Tsau pulled the sheets over him and shut his eyes as the hands on the clock struck midnight, but Tsau knew that all arrows pointed to death, but it did not seem so bad anymore, given his circumstances.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning was quiet and cloudy. It looked like rainfall was inevitable from Jack's small window. He got out of bed, pulled on his clothes and snuck outside. It must have been very early, because everyone else was asleep. Quietly waking up Gibbs, who woke the crew up, he snuck outside and attempted to leave, with Will and the others following. Luckily, Elizabeth and Bill had slept in her King's chambers, which gave them a quick advantage. Mr. Gibbs, Cotton, and Marty all stayed in the Cove, awaiting the small army that Nesirus sent.

Bill awoke from his sleep and opened his eyes. "Mum? Where are you going?"

The little girl with him, Maria, was already up, and staring at the ships as they went away. Elizabeth threw on her coat and walked up to her son, who was out of bed.

"I know you are strong, young one," she told him. "Just like your father. I must go now. Please watch over Maria."

"The Falcon flies," Maria spoke.

Elizabeth turned to her, happy that she was at least talking. "What did you say?"

"Today the Falcon must be freed," she repeated. "You will come back. When the Falcon is free, you will come back. You must help free the Falcon, or you shall perish with him. Go. You will come back."

Mrs. Turner gave Maria an odd stare, standing back up straight and grabbing her rapier. "Please don't go anywhere. The pirates here will protect you."

Rushing out the door, Elizabeth was still mad at Will, but more concerned for him. She hurried down to the dock and hopped into a small rowboat. Most likely the two ships will be headed out near Shipwreck port.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau stared out his window far past the busy docks. A few small little specks were in the distance, but growing larger by the minute. Nesirus was here. He slowly put on his clothes, keeping an eye on the specks. The Falcon uniform was ready today. Tsau popped the wristblade open and closed to test out the spring. Taking his time, the Falcon also packed his small weapons, his blade, and lastly, he tightened his coat for a fierce battle.

Nothing was present in his mind. It was cleared of all thoughts, of all emotions, of all problems that troubled him in the past. Tsau threw on his hood.

A long period of silence inside his hotel room developed. The sound of light rain and busy people were muffled by his door.

The assassin waited.

After the specks grew large enough to launch an attack, Tsau kneeled down and held his hands together.

In a soft voice, he prayed one last time.

**And so, it begins…hope you guys stay tuned for the next few chapters!**


	28. Flight of the Falcon

**Wow, I think I really set a record with this delay. I've just been really caught up with things, and haven't been able to touch the story so far. I am seriously sorry and hope you haven't given up on me yet ;P. Enjoy, guys.**

**Chapter 28: Flight of the Falcon**

"Brace yourselves!" Bootstrap yelled. "Here they come!"

Will drew his blade. "Be merciless, men. Today, we fight not just for ourselves, but for what we stand for. Everything that happens here will determine the lives of pirates in the future."

"These freaks are drawn from several corners of the planet," a crewmember said, followed with a rage of laughter. "A tad bit odd how I survived this long…"

"Enough," the captain insisted. "If the battle favors them, then leave without me. This is no full-scale war. Just a diversionary attack."

The rain grew heavier by the minute, with waves of drops rattling on the ships that drew closer. Aside the Dutchman, the Pearl was also ready to launch the plan, too. Black ships that tailed Blackwell's and Zhao's turned towards Shipwreck Cove, but what for? Jack figured that the Cove would hold it self long enough for them to get everything done. With a focused, unblinking face, he gazed over towards the other ship with his hands on the Dagger of Black Death, certainly ready to do something with it soon.

From the deck, the only female to sail with them before this whole mess marched up the steps with a readied face. Zi had her hair tied back that elegantly held up regardless of the rain. Her blade and pistol were also ready, and the trigun that Tsau gave to her was also there. Walking up to the helm, the emotionless face she wore soon gave into an expression of focus.

"You ready for this, love?" Jack asked her. He could feel the helm of the Pearl completely in his control now…and perhaps the Dutchman, as well. He also wondered deeply what he would do once this was over. How was he going to spend his eternity? Maybe he should go off into the horizon and sail the seas some more, or he could go to a place far away and live in peace and silence.

She nodded. "I'm as ready as ever, captain."

These people were her friends. They stuck with her through thick and thin, through the troubles with the law, through everything within the past months. She found permanent friends in Elizabeth and Will, and felt that she had to make up for her lack of participation in the Pearl crew because of Tsau's influence on her. It was time for Zi to be Zi again.

"Can you still handle a blade?" her captain asked sincerely.

Zi forced a smile. "Those lessons won't go to waste."

"I don't remember teaching you a lesson on how to properly handle a blade," he said with obvious implication.

"Tsau seemed pleased," she grinned.

"Are you absolutely, positively sure that he wasn't the one doing all the work?" Jack asked suspiciously.

The young lady rolled her eyes. "Enough, Jack. We should focus on the fight."

Then cannon fire.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trip to the dock was quick. The planks from small rowboats have dropped, and navy men have already initiated their attack on the locals, possibly because the majority of them are pirates. Tsau crept silently, yet fast enough so that he wasn't a sitting duck in the incipient battle. Hiding behind a few palm trees that were next to the set of steps that led down to the large dock, he observed the playing field for just a bit longer, planning how he would get to the ships. Apparently, one of the ships was already docked there, and the other trailed. Were Zhao and Blackwell planning to engage Jack and the others on land? Vacillation crowded his mind as to whether or not he should plow his way through the docks or try to sneak in undetected. Staying hidden was almost impossible, because the field was quite open along with gunshots being traded constantly.

Then, as if natural instinct had hit him, Tsau immediately knew how to handle himself on the battlefield. Standing up, he pulled out his trigun and started heading down the steps, hiding behind crates and wood. He then pulled out his short saber that was gifted to him by Hassan. Already, this blade has reminded him of significant deaths that occurred during his journey. Before Tsau could move, flashes of battlefield moments appeared before him. This was the first time he was involved in battle ever since leaving Zhao's regimen. Flashes of him killing other men on the field threw him into a sort of confusion. He felt as if he'd done this before.

The Falcon shut his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he initiated his trip to the other side.

Like a beautifully choreographed dance, Tsau's movements were fluid, instinctive, and deadly as he gracefully leapt over obstacles, sliced pirates and soldiers in their vital spots while simultaneously letting his trigun cry like the Falcon's call. Left and right, bodies collapsed from the lively movements of the blade and pistol. There were no thoughts in his mind; no clear indication of imperfection or improvisation. It was a flawless execution of bloodshed.

Finally making his way over to the large ship, Tsau hopped up onto the damp wood deck, avoiding the brewing chaos below. The Falcon kept his gaze forward and honed in on the enemy that stood before him. Nesirus had his arms crossed and sported a devilish smirk on his face. Tsau held his ground with an imposing presence.

"So you're here," Nesirus spoke. "I always knew that there was just something about you the Executives revered so much."

"I'm flattered," Tsau said flatly.

He ran his hands through his longer, slicked back hair. "Of course, there had to be something you possessed that they tried to get a hold of so much. Which is why I was created. I'm just a failed experiment; a product of their twisted schemes. Just something else to be thrown away…do you know what it was like knowing that you were garbage since the moment of your conception?"

"You have my nullified sympathy," the hooded assassin caustically said. His words egregiously provoked his enemy, almost as if Tsau was taunting him in some way.

"Oh, but I know why they love you so much," Nesirus said. "Do you know why you do what you do?"

"Because I'm good," he said.

"You love the killing!" Nesirus exclaimed. "You adore the bloodshed. I saw you while you made your way up here. Murder is your perfected art form, and you can't get enough of it, can you?!"

Tsau—trying to ignore his words—sarcastically replied, "You'd be surprised."

"Oh, Tsau how you love murder. Your bloodlust is why the Executives have been using you this whole time. You are so easily manipulated, from your murder of the servants to the extermination of Zhao's Deaths. I say, you followed their script to the narrowest detail—with outrageous ardor in your kills.

"They are, however, having trouble with the North American colonial establishment," Nesirus added. "Unfortunately, relations with Britain are severe. In a few years, I believe there will be full-scale war."

"And which side are you on?" Tsau asked.

Nesirus chuckled. "I am only here for one purpose, and that is to destroy the Executives. You happen to be in my way, so I must deal with you quickly, although I was hoping you'd join me."

"Assassins always come with a price," Tsau informed with a deep voice. "But no money can buy loyalty."

"I guess you must complete your role," Nesirus said. "Yes, they will throw you away just as they've thrown me. An empty slate used to carry garbage."

"How scathing."

The doppelganger drew his rapier and threw off his coat, revealing a long-sleeved black shirt underneath. Tsau drew his blade and faced his clone.

As they circled around, they seemed to feel the presence of one another, almost as if they were reading each other's thoughts. The Falcon remembered that Nesirus was just like him in almost every way, having incredible knowledge on maneuvers on sword fighting. Immediately, Nesirus lunged in with his blade, catching Tsau off guard in a state of thought, nearly impaling the assassin. Tsau just managed to dodge the sharp thrust, nearly slipping on the floor. He was good, but not that great. Thankfully, Tsau remembered that the Executives stored up his experiences up to when he became 22.

The Falcon smirked and gripped his blade, standing up to face his so-called "self".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack accidentally bumped into a navy man walking up on the ship railing, and he fell over into the water.

"Sorry, mate," he briefly said.

Scurrying his way up his ship, Jack was searching for Zi to find the dagger, because a black ship was approaching from the distance. With haste, he hopped onto a few crates and stared down at the fighting forces below. Jack pulled out his saber and examined the field for Zi. Finally spotting her on the far end of the ship, he grabbed a nearby rope and let his weight carry him downwards. He flew past the hacking blades below, a sparrow sweeping down from above, and let go when he was near the bottom of his arc to gain the farthest distance. Landing on the net nearby, Jack let himself down smoothly and fought his way past some navy men to meet her.

"Where be the dagger?!" he asked.

She kicked a navy man overboard and turned to him. "It's here!"

Zi took out the dagger and threw it to him.

"See you later, love!"

As Jack left, Zi followed him and noticed the black ship approaching. Before she could turn to him, her instincts urged her to fall backwards, and as she did, the large blade that barely missed her hit nothing but air and raindrops. Jack turned around and saw the assailant. The large, knightly warrior growled beneath his steel helmet, starved of military action and now hungry for bloodshed. Immediately swinging that large claymore, the monster-like knight nearly hit Jack, as well.

Jack stumbled backwards and scooted away, planning to retreat up the small flight of stairs. Before he could, the knight was already hacking away at the wooden handrails, sending out damp splinters into the air. Realizing that he would not be allowed to escape without a fight, he quickly rolled forward past the knight and sliced at the legs, only to hear a large "clank" and feel an uncomfortable vibration that stunned his arms for a quick second. With surprising speed, the knight's arm scooped Jack up by the throat and lifted him a good three feet off the ground.

Struggling for a moment, Jack felt his body becoming numb and his vision darkening, clouded with blackness.

At the edge of unconsciousness, a sound of piercing blades caused him to open his eyes. When the knight dropped him, the vision of two impalements surprised the captain. Jack shuffled backwards while sitting and watched the knight fall over, only to see Will and Zi sheath their blades again.

"We shall settle this, Jack," Will told him. "And we must hurry."

"Come on," Zi then said. "The Necromortalis is approaching. Let us hurry."

Jack stood up and took a breath. He followed them through the chaos.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nesirus kneed Tsau in the abdomen one more time and watched his original framework fall to the ground.

"It seems I am superior after all!" he yelled. "Those scientists knew exactly what they were doing."

Tsau spat out some blood on the wood floor and lied there for a moment. He breathed and tried to regain his focus. Nesirus had bested him, but it wasn't over yet. "And…how exactly did the Executives create a carbon-copy of me?"

"They have the tools of the future at their disposal," Nesirus told him. "Everything…every aspect of the future has already been planned out. They are merely waiting for our world to gradually change in the direction it should be heading. Too quick of a change is not good. They have _everything_."

"Then why are we fighting…?" Tsau asked, taking him by surprise. "The Necromortalis has already betrayed you. You have nothing."

Right as Nesirus looked away for a split moment, Tsau charged forward with his wristblade, but was caught. His enemy stared into his eyes. "Because I am here to determine who is the better of their two monstrosities."

He elbowed Tsau in the shoulder and shoved him away. "How much in control were they then?"

"How _much_?!" Nesirus asked with slight surprise. "Everything! They made you into who you are, Tsau. Nothing is chance; everything is determined. Even your old master, Hassan! That old fool was a pawn all along, conditioning and training you according to what was recommended. The Executives were surprised with your improvement for the mere reason that you far exceeded their expectations. You are the perfect weapon."

Tsau picked up his blade and stood still, awaiting his enemy's next move. It seemed that Nesirus had picked up tricks of his own. Talking more will only prolong the fight, and Tsau had to find the dagger before it is too late.

"That is correct," he agreed subtly. "I strived to become the best, and here I am. I_am_ the perfect weapon…but now I realize that I didn't condition myself for the Executives."

"So, then. What do you fight for? That is what separates us wholly, you see. That is what makes us different."

He looked up and grasped his blade. A cool shot of breath exhaled from his lungs. "Myself."

With blinding speed, Tsau smashed his enemy's blade away and threw a swing at the legs. The sharpness of the saber easily sliced through Nesirus's flesh and he fell flat on the ground. Following that movement, Tsau swiftly turned around and shoved the blade into his opponent, a swift strike with a deadly result.

Nesirus coughed up blood. The only expression on his face was one of laughter. Tsau pulled out his blade and kneeled down to face his replica.

"Why do you laugh so?" Tsau asked.

The clone of Dark Sunrise looked at him. "All I wanted to do was destroy the monsters that made me."

"You stood in my way," he stated lucidly. Tsau spoke to him without anger or hate. The feeling behind his voice was that of calmness, as if he was only speaking to Nesirus like a commoner would speak to another. "I did what I had to."

"Indeed you are the better creation," Drak said. "But my intentions were good,_brother_."

The Falcon dismissed the word "brother" because it sounded twisted. "It does not excuse the lives you have taken; the contract on your head. Clearly, your methods have not gone unnoticed."

"Did you not enter your business to kill bad men?"

"I did," Tsau answered. But that was all he said.

"Then how are you any different? You shed blood just as—no, even more—mercilessly than I ever did," Nesirus asked he was losing blood quickly, and losing time. "You know…I have a recurring dream, Tsau. I am running on desert land. And on this land, I have to outrun the sunset by chasing the sun. The sun does not move fast, but at the same time I cannot catch up. The darkness is always behind me, and chasing me forever. If I don't do anything, and quick, I will become it."

Tsau listened intently. "And have you?"

"Every time I get near a conclusion, I wake up," he answered. "And that's it. I don't understand why I'm always fighting, but I am. And now, I think you have concluded that dream."

"I have a recurring dream, too," Tsau said.

Nesirus grinned with bloody teeth. "Do tell."

"I am sitting at this dinner party, at a large banquet table. A banquet table made of gold, fit for kings and queens. And at this table, I am sitting with every person I've killed, both bad and innocent. They're staring at me with black, lifeless beady eyes. And that's it. No words are spoken, no blinking, no talking. I have to deal with the disturbing silence and the faces of those I've killed. They are all staring at me, and I am staring back at them."

Before Tsau could finish, Nesirus was already dead. Tsau stood up and looked out into the distance. He looked over towards land, near a short plateau, and spotted Chinese pirates. That is where Zhao must be.

Leaving the dead clone by himself, Tsau sheathed his blade and began to make his way towards him. After Zhao, then he will come back to deal with Zi.

Tsau hopped back onto an unoccupied dock and took his steps without vacillating; without a single thought.

**And so ends the motives of Nesirus, but how will Tsau face his former mentor? How will Zhao explain to him his forgotten experiences in the rebel military? How will I finish the next chapter without taking a frickin' month? We shall see x.x…**


	29. The Curse of Invincibility

**Okay, I worked really hard for you guys this time. Of course, I'd love to end the story, too, so here's the next chapter. Enjoy, guys.**

**Chapter 29: The Curse of Invincibility**

"Okay, Tsau, now use your entire body to get that correct slice in there," Zhao said to him.

The young Tsau's blade was swift; in fact, he was catching up to the veteran. Zhao didn't worry about it, though, because he still had a good 20 years on his battle card before he can retire. Hopefully he'll move up to general soon. At the same time, the grizzled, weathered war veteran rather enjoyed teaching this young one. The young man was fierce yet smart at the same time. Tsau's wisdom was far beyond his age, and from what Zhao has seen from him in battle so far, this kid was made to kill.

Tsau made a quick slice into the stuffed target. They stood there and stared at the dummy for a quick minute.

"I think you missed," Zhao stated unusually, pacing around the open training grounds right outside the camp. The bamboo surrounded the small settlement.

The young Tsau expected something like 'next time watch your target' but this was rather interesting yet entertaining. But this time he didn't doubt his stroke. The dummy immediately split perfectly without any mess or excess hay falling out from inside.

"Or not," his mentor said. "Impressive."

Immediately after he finished his sentence, a scout came along almost out of breath. "Sir! We need your assistance!"

"At ease, Private. What is it?"

"A substantially large group is approaching," he said, still trying to catch his breath. "And we've discovered a vantage point. It is with our best interests that you be the one to lead us at the vantage point. The point is above a large rocky hill, where we can set them off with our arrows and rifles."

Zhao nodded. "Of course."

As the private began to leave, he said, "Be ready in five minutes!"

The man turned to the mild-mannered Tsau. "So. Interested?"

Tsau nodded. "Always interested."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More cannonfire pummeled the wood as Jack, Will, and Zi snuck on Blackwell's ship. Everyone seemed to busy to pay attention to them. Right as they made their way up the stairs to the helm they were detected.

"Mr. Sparrow," Blackwell's suave voice bellowed into the air. "I hand you the chance to keep your freedom, yet you persist."

"Well," Jack said cockily. "There are more important aspects of my pirate life I must look out for. I need my…uh…friends! Yes, of course. Everyone needs their friends…"

Will and Zi gave him an absurd look before Blackwell spoke again.

"It does not matter," Blackwell said. "I am in need your dagger, however."

"And we need your blood," Will stated. "We will not leave here today without finishing this."

Blackwell scoffed and shook his head. "You idiotic fools. Do you not understand the power of deception?"

"You are the descendant of Rufus the Black," Will alleged. "I know the necessary actions that I must take."

"The power of the Executives is very effective, I see," Blackwell nodded. "Apparently, you don't know the real story."

"We don't need your lecture."

Blackwell smirked faintly. "Yes, of course. But might I tell you that the Necromortalis, Tsau, and even that buffoon Nesirus were all experiments engineered by the Executives?"

The three automatically froze.

"No one knows exactly how the Executives came to exist. Rumors have led back to the days of the Crusades. Templar knights. It does not matter, however. They assigned my ancestor to do the dirty work of disturbing that damned Angel of Death. Rufus the Black was a fool," Blackwell explained. "That dagger you have may be able to stop the Necromortalis, but it will not stop the reign of the Executives."

"I just want my life back," Will told him.

In a surprising move, Blackwell put his leg up on the Chest of Davy Jones. He kicked the chest to them. "Take it. You'll need it."

They froze again.

"Oh, how your sudden generosity is questionable," Jack said.

"Though we have been on the opposite sides of the spectrum, I am still a businessman at heart. This is a lost cause for Zhao and Nesirus. Nesirus is already dead," Blackwell held his hands behind his back and walked over to watch the battlefield. "So much for their intentions."

"What about your plan to resurrect the East India Trading Company?" Zi then asked. "Is that not why you allied yourself with Nesirus and Zhao?"

Blackwell turned around with an amused grin on his face. "Please. Your thinking is still at a novice level. You need not worry about me. Allow me your dagger for a quick moment."

Zi snatched the dagger from Jack's hands, who was about to protest but was too curious with the situation. She tossed it to the Governor and awaited the next few moments.

With the dagger, he lightly lifted it up to the tip of his finger and made a small incision. At that moment, the black dagger emitted a bright white color that captivated those around. When the glow disappeared, the Dagger of Black Death was now sleek silver and twice as attractive as it was before. Blackwell looked down at it and shrugged.

"Perhaps this is the way it has to be," he said. "I am now making my way out. The navy men will stay here to fight the Necromortalis and its army. Stay safe, children, for the Executives cannot afford your deaths."

With those last words, Blackwell tossed the dagger to them and watched as they awkwardly made their way out. They were still shocked to see him do this. He then turned to the ship captain.

"Pull out."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I've dreamt of a day like this for a long time," Zhao spoke, staring far out into the battle. "Ever since you left."

Tsau stood behind him, waiting for the moment they participate in battle. "I haven't dreamed ever since I started killing."

"That's too bad, Tsau. I am sorry."

The assassin was abrupt. "No, you're not."

"Truly, I am. I am sure that I will never know what it is like for you," he commented. "But I try my hardest to understand. I will only leave today either alive or dead. Needless to say, I am not afraid of death today."

"You'd be surprised," Tsau replied with unflinching truth behind his voice, "just how fearful the bravest men can become when they face death."

"I trust you," Zhao said surely. "But I am sure I'll prove you wrong today."

As Zhao turned around, Tsau remained indifferent. "By killing me?"

"Whichever way is effective. It does not matter. What matters is what happened on this day," he said. Zhao began to walk towards Tsau slowly, but stopped within a few yards, telegraphing a moment of monologue.

"I assume you've a large explanation?" Tsau asked, the darkness of the shadow under his hood covering his face.

Zhao shook his head and maintained a strong posture. "Not explanation. Revelation."

"If this is about Hassan and his involvement with the Executives," Tsau added, "then I already know."

"No, this is about me," Zhao said.

Tsau was silent in surprise, pondering on what Zhao will say next.

"Do you know why my soldier did not execute you on that day you left?" Zhao asked, with Tsau shaking his head very slightly. "Of course not. We are, of course, all serving a higher purpose. I serve freedom and liberty. But even higher than that, I am still fiercely loyal to my superiors."

"Where are you going with this?" Tsau asked.

"I had to spare you, son…so that you can become stronger and one day face me. I was forced to turn on you, to antagonize you, to become your enemy, and eventually cast you out on your own."

"And whose wonderful plan was this?" Tsau questioned half-sarcastically. "The Executives, right?"

Zhao nodded. "Right."

"So you work for them," he realized with an unsurprised voice. "So much for freedom, huh? Not only are you a delusional general but also a hypocrite."

The weathered general did not care for Tsau's scathing insults. This was a moment he was happy for. "I turned on them, Tsau. I hated working for them. Nevertheless, fate is not without a hint of irony. When I crossed paths with you again, I laughed at myself. The Executives truly want my death, then."

"They ordered for your death?" Tsau asked.

"Yes," Zhao answered. "I cannot go back home, I've got nowhere to go. My men are failing; my cause is dwindling. What a beautiful day today is."

There was heavy rain.

"This is my final mission, Tsau," Zhao spoke up after turning around to admire the battlefield. "You have much prior experience in battle than you can remember."

"How so?"

Zhao grinned slightly. "You fell on your head once, kid. We were on a mission, remember? You slipped and fell on the rocks below."

"It doesn't matter, Zhao," Tsau said in dismissal. "It may be true, but it won't matter by today."

"You are the best at what you do. Have you realized that? And still, you persist on nothing more than a goal. No logical backup."

Tsau was beginning to soften a bit, but was aware of it, too. Zhao was not as menacing as before. "I just want to get rid of my nightmares. Killing haunts me. If you stand in my way, of course you are antagonistic."

"It's not that simple, Tsau," Zhao said, his intensity growing larger. "The nightmares? They never stop. You think I don't know, but I do. Those nightmares never disappear. Once you've been on the battlefield, tasted blood, and experienced the tension and thrill and death…it becomes _you_. Once you've awakened your inner warrior, your primal instinct, you can never put it back to sleep; you can only kill it. You will find yourself craving even larger thrills, more bloodshed; more tensions. You no longer have the need for money, or power…or even sex. In the end, all that satisfies your craving is war! And why, Tsau? Because it makes you _alive_."

Tsau listened to Zhao's speaking, not thinking, but just listening.

"The murder grounds are where we live. It is our home. On the battlefield, you and I are treasured and valuable commodities; revered for our skill and valor, but back 'home' we are nothing but dead weight. If we're lucky, we might get a nice store to run or some cheap government job. The sad truth is, however, you and I are bound to this battlefield until we are murdered like dogs."

The Falcon was almost stunned to hear what his former mentor had to say. "You…can't believe in this. I…I can choose to do whatever I desire. I _will_ rid myself of these nightmares. If I have to kill you, I won't hesitate."

Zhao shook his head. That hard stare showed signs of weariness, though, but still had a trace of strength. "It doesn't matter, Tsau. We are nothing. If both of us die here, more battles will continue. Our fight will not suffice this hellhole we call our 'world.' The loser shall be liberated from the battlefield, and the winner will fight on. This is the true liberation I've sought for so long."

"No…" Tsau protested with challenge. He was heavily weakening from Zhao's words. "I won't fight here forever. I'm not like you."

"Tsau," Zhao said, digressing from his previous speech. "I loved you as a son. I trained you, gave you weapons, showed you techniques, taught you…gave you advice. There is nothing left for me to give you. The only thing left for you to do is to take my life."

He stood still. "You…"

"Enough! Be an assassin! Finish your job!" Zhao exclaimed, pulling out his blade.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack rushed up the wooden planks of the other navy ship and kicked off another one of the undead pirates. The Necromortalis was not here yet. Or it was somewhere else on the ship. Effortlessly cutting his way through the busy undead pirates, he finally caught a glimpse of it. It would not matter, anyway, since he did not have the dagger. Zi was close by, though, searching on another part of the ship.

Will sought the far end of the ship, where the chaos was at boiling point. Taking a quick strike to the back of the neck, he leaned over the shipside in agony. He turned around to face the undead pirate, who was quickly disposed with a slice across the neck. When it collapsed, Elizabeth was in his sights. The timing could not have been better.

Puzzled, he ran his hand through his hair. "What are you—"

"When I married you, I made a promise, too," she told him, approaching him closely. "And I am keeping that promise."

Before he could speak, she came in and kissed him passionately. He fell for her touch, disregarding the chaos and battle around them. In fact, her disobedience was unusually arousing; he was now more in love with her than he ever was.

"You disobeyed me," Will said in neutrality.

She looked down troublesomely. "I know, Will. But I hope you understand…"

"No," he asserted, lifting her chin up with the tip of his fingers. "I think we can let this slide, provided that you owe me something when we get back…my Pirate King."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked curiously.

He smirked. "Shh. It's a surprise."

Jack was nearly covered completely in black ash left behind from the undead pirates. He coughed a bit and walked toward them as he hacked through a few more of the mindless pawns. "William! I am here fighting and you're just flirtatiously conversing with the damsel in distress here! This is madness!"

Zi then rushed up to them from another angle. "It's here!"

The four turned immediately and saw the dark, shadowy figure that floated past the fighting soldiers. They grasped their blades and waited silently.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsau nearly collapsed from Zhao's cut on the side of his leg. The assassin kneeled down to inspect the wound, relieved that he wasn't completely incapacitated. Tsau used his blade to prop him up. Zhao himself wasn't too well, either, who suffered a few critical blows, too. Thankfully, all men could be killed the same. No one is truly invincible…or maybe Tsau was.

"How much longer can you last?" Zhao asked, trying to regain his balance.

Tsau stood up and took breaths. "Long enough."

The two traded a few more blows, blocking and dodging each other successfully. Tsau definitely had the physical advantage, but Zhao was smarter and more experienced. Indeed, he had to outsmart him somehow.

Zhao caught him thinking and landed critical fist strikes to the chest that knocked the air out of his former student. As Tsau backed up towards the side of the mountain on the open plateau, he stumbled down and sat against it to catch his breath. Just as he was gaining his momentum back, he felt a sharp pain below the side of his abdomen as Zhao shoved his blade into it. The Falcon let out a cry of pain, because it definitely was not a killing blow. The pain was so sharp that he lost grip of his own saber. Zhao was merely toying with him, or so he had hoped.

"You're pathetic, boy," Zhao said, pulling out his blade from Tsau. "Why are you fighting me, Tsau? Is it because I stand in your way? Is it because of your friends who abandoned you? Tell me, Tsau. Why do you persist?"

"Because," Tsau said, standing up and bleeding heavily with the blood seeping through his White Falcon suit. "I want to find out who is the better of two monstrosities."

Zhao's eyes widened with the repetition of Nesirus's words. He grabbed Tsau and tossed him into the grass opposite the mountainside. Tsau slid across the grass and tried to pick himself up. His intuition immediately allowed him to see Zhao coming in from behind with a large swing of his blade. Tsau drew out one of his knives and instinctively rolled underneath Zhao's swing. As he rolled, he cut Zhao's leg tendon and disabled his leg completely.

Zhao stumbled forward and clumsily remained balanced. The Falcon ran up the mountainside, hoping that he was still there. And he was. Tsau kicked himself away from the wall and flied in the air with his left hand raised. The crippled Zhao slowly turned as Tsau flew in closer. Now he was facing Tsau, and it happened too fast for him to react.

Tsau's left hand flicked out the installed wristblade that was concealed by a gear mechanism. It was the same one that Hassan kept telling him to use. A perfect hidden blade. Zhao's eyes widened as Tsau landed on him and shoved the blade into his chest, puncturing his lungs and spilling blood both internally and externally.

The general rested there with surprise. A smile cracked on his lips as Tsau pulled the bloody wristblade out and snapped it back in. The assassin kneeled down next to Zhao and stared upon his mentor with sorrow and pity.

"It seems that you are the better one," Zhao said with heavy breathing.

Tsau kept an unwavering eye on him. "Rest now, soldier. You are free to go. May you spend eternity in peace and harmony."

Zhao reached for his necklace and pulled it off, handing it to Tsau. The trinket was in the shape of a key. "Here. Take this."

"What for?"

"It is located in Aswad, your home," he answered. "It unlocks the documents for the original Executives…and the funds I've amassed for my calling."

"A world for soldiers," Tsau stated with Zhao's slow nodding. "I…can't take this."

His breathing approached heavier by the minute. "You must. Someday you'll be happy you have it. Take it, Tsau…and find your own calling. Spend the funds as you see fit."

Tsau accepted the key. "I'm sorry that you were put though this, Zhao."

"I told you it didn't matter," the wounded man alleged. "Listen, Tsau. You are a wonderful man, capable of not only horrible things, but good things too. I've seen a growing person in you, and you have shown me that even the darkest of people can lead a good cause. Finish me, son. Do it."

Tsau stood up and pulled out his trigun. He pointed it at Zhao's chest with no ambivalence.

"Maybe you will find a better way out of the battlefield," Zhao added. "You are truly gifted, Tsau. You have the Gift of Invincibility."

The Falcon pulled the trigger and the shot echoed across the mountainside, though it was quickly swallowed up by the ongoing fight.

Tsau reloaded the spent bullet and stared at the battle. The Necromortalis was already engaging the navy men. He had to deal with one last monstrosity before freedom. Rushing down the mountain trail next to the plateau, Tsau only hoped that it wasn't too late.

_No, Zhao. Not gifted. Cursed. I suffer the Curse of Invincibility._

**So hope you like. It should definitely keep you up for the next chapter, which I hope will come soon. Stay tuned, guys, and leave some reviews or something, geez. -.- I feel like a review whore today. Sorry.**


	30. Confrontation

**It's been a week or so, and I've finished this rather short chapter. It's pretty fast-paced, and there's very little dialogue, so it's a pretty short one.**

**Chapter 30: Confrontation**

Jack crossed blades with the dark entity one more time. He had to somehow direct its attention to something else so he has time to get the dagger from Zi, who was on the shipside opposite to him. From beneath, he could feel the Pearl rumbling while they were fighting on the deck. The pirates on board were busy fighting their undead counterparts, with the sounds of gunshots and the clashing of blades roaring into the distance.

The Pearl continued to rumble.

"It's…sinking," Zi noted. "It's swallowing up this ship, Jack!"

Jack looked down and his eyes widened. "Quick! Hand me that dagger!"

Zi stared at him for a moment, wondering if she should throw it to him.

Will and Elizabeth were distracting it, but it was drawing closer to them by the second. Will leaned on the high rope and held a decoy chest in his arms, luring it towards him, while Elizabeth stood on the far end of the ship and watched frantically. She drew her pistol as it grew denser in size, like a large beast. Firing off a shot, she caught its attention but hardly grazed it, as it only grew angrier.

Immense in size and unlimited in fury, the Necromortalis sprouted two horns on its head that curved outwards and was close to falling through the ship.

"Throw it to me or we will all die!" Jack yelled. Zi's hardened face began to soften and she eventually delivered it to Jack, turning away from the scene.

Jack raised the silver dagger in the air and it sparkled with a sharp sound, calling for the Necromortalis. The monster turned around and spotted it in Jack's hand. A large roar emerged from its lungs, an ear piercing shockwave that severely crippled those around it. Jack, who covered his ears, walked up to the tall beast and gripped the shiny dagger.

"The Dutchman is mine," he smirked.

The beast snatched Jack into the air with its hand and looked into his eyes. Slowly raising him into the damp air that was starting to die out, it glowed subtly as it stared into the captain. Jack suddenly felt a rush of fear that crawled up his spine, and almost overwhelmed him. The images of failure ran through his mind, and he was almost motionless. After a moment of paralysis, Jack shut his eyes and focused. Successfully breaking the spell, he lifted up the dagger and drove it downwards into the Necromortalis's hand, causing the monster to shriek loudly in pain. As the grip loosened, Jack managed to pull himself up onto the hand, which started to freeze into a metallic silver, just like the dagger. Will, Elizabeth, and Zi watched hopefully, awaiting the end of the beast. The process began to spread through the beast, but it was not quick enough. Jack sprinted clumsily up its arm and eyed the chest, where the logical spot to strike was. With a little shred of hope left, he leapt towards the chest and shoved the dagger into it, falling downwards, while simultaneously cutting the monster as he hung onto the weapon on the way down. Finally dropping to the ground, he looked up at the chest of the Necromortalis and backed away to the shipside, noticing the large rip he had left on its chest. The beast shrieked one last time as it completely turned into silver, frozen.

The dagger in Jack's hand emitted the glow once again, and the metallic silver began to detach from the Necromortalis. The metal coating on it disintegrated into dust and the dagger began to swallow it completely. The dust was completely gone along with the dwindling of the dagger's glow. Staring down at it in his hand, Jack noticed that when the dagger's glow disappeared, it reverted back into its original color. He assumed that the deed was done, and now it was time for the chest.

But at that moment, he looked up from the dagger and noticed the beast still in front of him. It shrunk back into its normal size and stared at him heartlessly, seemingly unharmed. What sorcery was this? The Necromortalis then sprouted a large blade from its arm and roared at Jack, most likely wanting to take back the dagger. Jack was motionless.

A gunshot fired not too far away that caused Jack to frighten.

Jack looked at the monster's remains. The face was completely blown off, and all that remained was a few shreds of the neck. As the part that was blown to pieces turned into dust, the body twitched just slightly before collapsing. Almost immediately, the body, too, disintegrated into dust, carried off by the short breeze. The undead pirates disappeared, the ships were gone, and the conflict was over. There was no celebration yet, however, though the navy and the pirates could call it a day. The rain that lightened up nearly stopped, and the clouds turned lighter as the sun was beginning to break through the sky. Footsteps approached, and they turned to see the Falcon carrying his trigun walk across the deck.

Tsau looked up at them without words; without explanations. He raised his gun upwards and fired a round at Jack. Jack raised both of his arms up to brace himself for the impact of the shot, but the dagger miraculously deflected the bullet, diverting its path into the air.

"You missed, mate," Jack said.

Tsau reloaded his weapon. "My mistake."

At that moment, caught off-guard, Jack was not ready for Zi's nimble move as she sprinted past him and snatched the dagger from his hands along the way. She jumped on a rope and let herself down onto the docks below. Tsau pointed the gun at Jack one more time, but decided to pursue Zi, because the crowd was celebrating below and it would prove difficult to spot her. He effortlessly hopped down to the docks without assistance and sprinted after her.

Jack rushed up to the helm of the ship. "Hoist the sails, men! We're following the perimeter."

With little time left before she escaped his line of sight, Tsau tackled and shoved people out of the way, knocking over beggars, merchants, even guardsmen as he rushed to gain higher ground. Finally, he managed to hop up to the short roofs of the merchant stands and leapt on to others nearby to avoid the crowd below.

Zi was running out of breath. She slipped past a few more people before taking a turn to hide in one of the merchant crates. Immediately, she heard a thump nearby, and peeked through the small cracks in the crates to see the nearby assassin tracking her down. The White Falcon watched his surroundings, knowing that Zi couldn't have gone far. She shivered because she had no jacket on, and the wind was picking up though the light drizzle persisted. Finally, Tsau walked past the crate and Zi hopped out, spotting a large blanket nearby. She snatched it and kept her hat low, throwing the blanket over her back to make it seem as though she were a poor commoner. Zi walked back into the crowd and saw Jack's ship nearing from the far end of the beachside. She had to be discreet and make it to the ship before Tsau catches on.

Treading carefully through the crowd towards the end of the dock where the Pearl would be at, Zi kept a close eye on her surroundings, noticing that there were quite a few people dressed in white attire similar to Tsau's. A rush of tension washed her completely. Any one of these people could've been Tsau. Her breathing quickened, her vision thickened, and her mind felt washy. Fighting her sudden change in condition, Zi struggled to keep herself from having a breakdown. She could sense something following her from behind. It was getting closer by the second, and her instinct was telling her to sprint away quickly. Before she knew it, a hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

"Come, quickly," Elizabeth told her.

A sign of relief revitalized Zi completely as she exhaled a sigh. "Yeah."

Quietly, they snuck past the crowds and got closer to the Pearl. It was out on a far deck where very little commoners roamed, still wondering what had happened a few minutes ago. Elizabeth grabbed the large rope connecting to the Black Pearl and hopped down to the small rowboat, planning to pull herself and Zi to the ship.

"Get in, Zi—"

Her dialogue was cut off as a gunshot fired and barely missed them. Tsau shot again, but the commoners accidentally ran into him and redirected his shot. Aggressively, he shoved them out of the way and ran out onto the larger dock plank that Elizabeth and Zi were located. Shoving people into the water and clearing his path, he shot his last bullet and hit the end of the rope that was tied to the small rowboat. The people nearby scrambled away and cleared that entire section of the docks. Tsau eventually stopped to watch them for a moment, knowing that they were going nowhere without an oar.

He drew closer to them and reloaded his weapon. The dagger was going to be his. Zi and Elizabeth got out of the boat and stood behind a few stacked crates. There was a large cloth that hung next to the crates, too.

"What do we do?" Elizabeth asked her quietly with death drawing nearer with each breath.

Zi shook her head, frightened. "I-I…I don't know…"

Elizabeth watched as Zi reached to grab the trigun that Tsau had given to her. She had exactly three bullets. The young lady loaded the bullets and shivered from fear. The wind was picking up, and the cloth sheet began to move.

"I thought he could change," she said. "Somehow I always felt that it would come to this."

"No!" Elizabeth exclaimed in a whisper. "Don't—"

Zi stabilized herself. "I hope he misses."

Tsau's footsteps could be heard now. He held his trigun up and fixed his eyes onto the nearby crates. The cloth nearly blocked the crates now, and the line of sight. The wind was strong enough to hold it up.

"Izzi!" he yelled, stepping forward. "I do this for a living!"

Taking a breath, Zi hoped that the cloth would give her an advantage. She could see his feet, though, and he could probably see hers, too, when she moves out.

Elizabeth gave her one last look. Zi handed her the dagger with a nod.

She took a breath and stepped out to confront Tsau, hidden behind the blowing cloth.

They each unloaded their bullets.

**RRGH, I know you hate me. Hehe. Stay tuned, folks!**


	31. The Gift of Mortality

**Alright, I know I left you guys off hanging there, but luckily for you, I had time to finish the chapter that basically wraps up their journey completely. Hope you guys like it, and hope it feels complete.**

**Chapter 31: The Gift of Mortality**

The wind died down and the cloth died with it. The gunshots were traded, and now there was only silence. She was numb for a moment. It took Zi three whole seconds to realize that she was still breathing. It took another five to realize that Tsau was not dead. Zi felt places on her body, but nothing. Tsau missed? He was still standing, too. She missed, as well. Now out of bullets, she watched Tsau.

He dropped his gun and reached for his shuriken at his belt. Twirling it in his hands and cocking himself into a throwing position, the Falcon was ready to finish her off and complete his mission as the Fifth Servant. But, unfortunately, he dropped the shuriken to the ground, much to his surprise. His hand was numb and weak. Tsau slowly shut his eyes for a minute and took a breath. Breathing was harder than ever. Taking in that odd moment, his mind thought for an extra second. Then a realization washed over him and he did not know what to think.

Zi flinched, but saw that he had dropped the shuriken. Tsau looked like he was in a trance, but he came back to reality and took hard breaths. Then she saw it. Underneath his jacket, he opened it slightly and saw the blood spreading outwards, staining his shirt and outfit. Tsau looked down in slight thought. After, he walked close to the edge and sat down on the dock, letting his feet drop to the water below. The Falcon stared out towards the sea, then hung his head low.

Elizabeth peeked from behind the crates and eventually stepped out. Zi tilted her head sideways in an attempt to see Tsau's face. She walked over next to him and sat down with him.

"There's…some medication on the Pearl," she informed. "We could—we could help…"

He looked up to the sea, thinking of everything that had happened so far. "Hey, Izzi."

She stared at him with a soft expression. He was thinking of the very thing he was asked before his departure from Aswad Mohit.

"What do you think of _fate_?" he asked her.

Surprised, she thought of her answer. "I think…we are only in control as much as our mind lets us."

Tsau kept silent. A feeling of sympathy grew within her, making her question whether this moment was real or not. Time was slow…or was it pausing? The irritation inside her ceased her talking, but her mind would not allow it.

"You always had a choice," she managed to say.

He thought silently.

"I had no choice," Tsau asserted. "It was my duty."

But that wasn't what he really meant. Even in the last moments of his life he denied himself. Normally, she would be bitter, but this Tsau was different. He wasn't predatory; he wasn't the cynical, pessimistic Tsau that she had known. Somehow, his tone felt right, though melancholy.

Before she could say anything, he cut her off.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "You're right…I always had a choice. My circumstances limited those choices. I guess I was too driven for my own salvation. A fitting end."

Bitterly, she turned away slightly with a racing mind and a startled body. Why was Tsau so calm? Elizabeth stood behind them, but decided not to interrupt these last moments.

She was concerned for his health, because the blood was spreading. "Tsau, you're dying. Let me help. It doesn't have to be this way."

He shook his head. "It's already too late."

Zi's eyes watered up and her face was turning red.

"Don't cry," Tsau found himself saying. His tone was straightforward as always, but had a sense of comfort and gentleness, which was much an alien feeling. He caressed her cheek as she turned to him and expressed a soft face. "There's always something else out there for everyone."

She held back a sob. "Tsau, I don't know if I can…"

"Yes you can," he ensured. "Life is about adaptation, remember? Even the strongest of predators must face their dying moment. This is my peace now. It's my time to rest. You're still young and will always be. You still have a lifetime to live…so move on…and find newer things; meet newer people. Live for this."

He was burning his last few seconds. The strength of maintaining his consciousness was slipping.

"Zi," Tsau said. His vision was failing; blurring. "I don't care what has happened to me; what I've become. I just want you to know that I'm glad I saw you again. And that's all I'm thankful for. You've taught me so much…and reminded me of what we all must live for. Thank you."

Tsau wanted to say more, and he tried his hardest to say his last words.

"The only thing…" he started. "…I ask for…is that you find something redeemable in me, and remember me for it. Remember me. I, who stood here and fought off Zhao and Nesirus. I, who carried the burden. I…who had nothing…"

Somehow she understood him this time. The life he led, the choices he made: this was his own personal hell. This was his freedom; the true Flight of the Falcon. Tsau fell backwards and rested on his back.

She looked over him and sat on her knees next to him. "Tsau…!? Tsau? Stay with me!"

At close proximity, Tsau managed to exhale one breath. "Nothing is absolute; everything is plausible…"

Silence.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Into the late afternoon, the navy and the pirates called it a day, clearing out the docks and hoping to return home. The Pearl and the Dutchman docked back at Shipwreck Cove, with sounds of rejoicing and partying following their arrival. Zi even found herself smiling, though her reaction was bittersweet. On an outside courtyard, Jack held the dagger in one hand and the chest in the other.

"Ladies and gents!" he started off. "Let us witness the majesty and the power of this dagger and chest!"

Elizabeth and Will stood to the side with their son. He rubbed his chest and was glad that his heart was back inside him again, but only the Angel of Death will give the final verdict on who will be free or not. Zi stood with them.

Jack placed the dagger into the chest and set the chest down, hurrying over some cover in fear that it would explode or something threatening. Moments passed, and nothing happened. Minutes were drawn with question. If nothing happened, then how would souls pass through? The anxiety was deepening and growing at the lack of any spiritual presence.

As Jack's patience ran its last bit of fuel, the opening of the crowd caused him to look over while the sound of footsteps broke the silence. A dark, robed figure stepped out into the middle of the courtyard where the chest stood. It carried a body on its shoulders and set it down carefully. From the distance, Zi noticed that it was Tsau's body. They were planning to bury it soon, but how did it find the body? The robed figure stood there and waited for a second before it spoke.

"Centuries ago," it started in a divinely deep voice. "A normal man tampered with the business of death. And in doing so, I was imprisoned. As you know, servants were assigned, businesses built, and a new traveler of both worlds had to be established. I am here to reclaim my original place in eternity."

It kneeled down and opened the chest with the dagger inside. The Angel of Death reached for the dagger and held in with both hands. In surprising strength, it snapped the dagger in half and it turned into dust just as the Necromortalis did. The chest, too, turned into dust and disappeared.

It stood back up. "And so ends this uncomfortable era. But…there will be other problems out there, children. Especially involving _you_, Mrs. Turner, and your friends. I probably won't see you for awhile, and I don't expect to see you anytime soon, if ever. All you must do is to never disclose your immortality to anyone else again, but it won't matter."

Will stepped forward in question. "What do you mean 'it won't matter'? Is my immortality unchanged?"

"You remain immortal for some reason," it stated. "But, I'm sure it will be done away with soon. I cannot predict the future, young ones, but I have a hunch that your state will not last long. Unnecessary immortality is always a nuisance for us."

"And what are you doing with Tsau?" Zi asked.

"I am taking him across first. He deserves to rest," it answered. "His body will be cremated in Aswad, in the church where his priest friend resides."

She smiled and looked down. "Tell him we'll miss him."

"I don't think it needs to be said," it spoke. "Goodbye, children. I must return to my duties. I've a lot of work to complete. I hope we do not meet again for a long time."

With that, the Angel of Death, who was surprisingly subtle to Jack and the others (they expected someone flashier), picked Tsau back up and in that instant, burst out both of its fine, smooth black wings. Even with little updraft, it sprung into the sky and disappeared, leaving spectators in awe.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure you don't wish to stay?" Teague asked Elizabeth the next morning. "You _are_ the Pirate King, miss."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I've a family to raise and be with. You can look over these young brave-hearts."

"Then have a joyous and prosperous life, Captain Elizabeth Turner," he bowed. "Your ship, The Empress, awaits."

Flattered by his nobleness, she smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

Elizabeth walked out of the great room and out to the docking area. It was finally good to go home and enjoy the peace. Along the way, she stopped in her steps right as she passed Jack Sparrow, who was oddly in a state of thought, sitting on the wood railing over the water.

"Mr. Sparrow," she said teasingly. "In a melancholy mood? My, this is a sight to behold."

"I'm afraid the line starts around the cove, darling," he replied, looking at her. "If you want your time with Captain Sparrow, you must wait like every other woman. No freebies."

"You could at least be as noble as your father," she grinned tolerantly at his response. "Why so calm, Jack?"

"The immortality won't last long," Jack stated truthfully.

"But…" she started off walking up behind him and playfully massaging his shoulders. "You have the Dutchman and the Pearl in your grasp now. You can finally be introduced as Commodore Jack Sparrow."

Jack shook his head, his dreadlocks flying around as he did so. "I'm afraid Hector and I cut a deal. He's gone now, with the Dutchman."

"I'm sorry, Jack," she said to him, lightly slapping his cheek as if he were a child. "But…the best thing about legends is that they die. That is what makes a legend. So, one day there will be a Legend of Jack Sparrow, who helmed the Black Pearl in the waters of the Caribbean."

He lifted his arm and put his hat back on top of his bandanna-covered head. "No matter, darling. If what you say is true, then a captain I shall remain!" Jack was back to his loud and normal self. "Plus, 'captain' has a better ring to it. I'll see you later, Ms. Turner. Tell dear William 'You're welcome'."

Jack began to walk away. "Jack! Will you visit us again?"

"One of these days, love!" he shouted, getting on the Pearl nearby. "One of these days."

Elizabeth waved as Jack sailed away in the Black Pearl, riding off into the horizon like a true pirate. Turning around to face The Empress, formerly captained by Sao Feng, she saw her family waiting for her.

"Elizabeth?" a voice asked behind her.

She turned around and saw Zi standing shyly. "I thought you went with Jack. Are you not?"

"I, um…well," she started off. "I don't really have a place to go anymore. I don't feel like returning home, either."

Elizabeth giggled and took advantage of the situation. "Go ahead, ask it. I dare you."

Zi cringed. "…may I come with you to Port Royal?"

She reached over and hugged Zi. "Of course you can. Just put your stuff in the lower cabins."

The Chinese woman grinned broadly. "Already have."

With Zi already heading towards the boat, Elizabeth looked at her husband, who was up at the helm. She rushed up to the deck and up the stairs to greet him with a kiss. Taken by surprise, Will returned his passion and stared into her eyes.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she replied, but then lightly shoved him off the wheel. "But this is _my_ ship."

Will felt a shocked rejection and he gestured with confusion. "Wha-! Come on!"

"Hoist the colors, men!" she shouted to the crewmembers. "I want those sails up fast!"

Zi ran up to the helm with Bill and they joined Will and Elizabeth. Along with them was Bootstrap, who embraced his son, happy to have his family back. As the ship sailed out of Shipwreck Cove, Zi somehow knew what Tsau wanted so badly. She could feel it, somewhere deep in her gut; that sense of freedom and carefree feeling. Was this what he stood to fight for? This feeling of freedom, family, and belonging? This whole journey to free the Angel of Death was staggering, but somehow she knew that maybe it wasn't the Angel of Death they were trying to free. Maybe it was Tsau. Tsau was the Angel of Death waiting to be freed. With that thought, she smiled a bittersweet smile. This moment was for _him_.

**And so ends their part of the journey.**

**But wait! There's one more chapter I'm going to submit. Stay tuned. Hehe.**


	32. Requiem

**Okay, guys. Finally, the last chapter. Gee, it's been a long way, hasn't it? Wow. It's not until know that I finally look back at all I've written. . **

**Anyway, enjoy guys.**

**Chapter 32: Requiem**

The afternoon bell echoed throughout the church and sounded out into the city. Father Demetrius murmured a soft prayer while he paced around the body of the dead Falcon. The fighter has finally been laid to rest, he hoped. Tsau was always one who never questioned himself until his friends showed up. The padre knew that Tsau was a good person in truth. A surprising amount of visitors came in today to pay their respects to the last of his group, even after hearing the stunning news of the massacre at the Gilded Fountain. Nevertheless, the father was going to cremate the body soon.

Before the doors closed, however, someone stepped in to see Tsau; a somewhat tall, slick, and slightly brooding man in a British navy uniform. He removed his hat and set it aside on the seating area inside the church. Augustus Blackwell spoke in prayer for a moment before heading over to see the deceased Tsau. Running a hand across the fine wood the Falcon rested on, the former governor reflected on the moments in the past.

"You were a fine specimen," Blackwell stated. "A strong, cunning, and wise warrior fit for a tale that can last an eternity. Yes, Tsau, you were the best that we have ever seen. But, I come to question myself…why have you fallen? All of the arrows have pointed towards your inevitable success. You should see what we have, Tsau. We have everything that would last us and open a new world. We know everything, we see everything."

Blackwell, in a state of disappointment and light sorrow, sighed for a moment. "Everything, Tsau, that you have heard about the past; Greek myths, Templar treasures, Persian folklore…even alien technology that has rested within this very earth since we learned to walk upright...it is all so very real. If only you had lasted, we might have shown it to you. With all of these aspects in our grasp, The Executives can plan the world's future accordingly. The future is bright, but there will be no God. There will only be _man_.

"But there is something I never disclosed to you. It never mattered if you lived or not. So long as we have your information, we can generate as much war in your name as we can. You were the perfect experiment, Tsau. Our monitoring of you since birth has shown us so much about the psychology of an assassin such as you. How so, then, did a vastly superior specimen like Nesirus lose? This has us questioning, my friend. If we cannot find your stability, where must we search? My successors are impatient. No good will come of your death. Wars will break out; the future: clouded. The Executives themselves find that their search for the answer is troubling, growing and becoming corrupt."

The man took another pause. "No matter on corruption, though. We shall find a greater refuge in America, after our British counterparts have established themselves. Just heed my words: the next decade or two will not be pleasant. In fact, those time periods won't exist. The Executives will pull everything in their possession. We will create newer weapons, newer technologies not meant to be shown in this day and age. And do you know what we will do? We will put those weapons out on the battlefield and generate decades of war, not only for the ultimate cleansing for the new world, but for finance, as well. Your friends, the pirates, and everyone you have ever known will suffer the cleansing of this earth at the hands of the Executives. And the best part is that we can pass off those decades as the famous Revolutionary War, and make heroes out of crackpot old fools who are under the strings of our power.

"Do not misunderstand us, though, Tsau," Blackwell said contrarily. "The Executives only wish the best for the future. God is kind. He gives us the opportunity to settle our own problems. We will create a good, stable, and controlled future for human beings. Perhaps we will steadily increase new technology once the people are ready."

Before he left, he stopped to say one more thing. "Oh, and I am quite surprised that you remembered something. When you last spoke to your friend, you said, 'Nothing is absolute; everything is plausible,' it seemed that you were recalling your own Order's heritage. I am impressed that the quote has been passed on for this long. But I digress…"

He concluded his words and prepared to leave the church. "Nevertheless, Tsau, it is much unexpected that you must leave us. My superiors and peers are quite suspicious, and I shall deliver this final account that you are truly deceased. This moment here confirms so. We _will_ attempt to place your soul in another lifetime. I only hope that I am dead before I meet your future equivalent. Farewell, Tsau."

And with those final words, Augustus Blackwell put on his hat and prepared to leave the church, bitterly anticipating the years to come, which he would describe as 'a blank hole of carnage'. Blackwell stared at Tsau for one last moment, and turned around.

He took a few steps but felt a growing danger multiplying into impossible degrees of presence. From behind, he suddenly heard a sliding noise along with the subtle ring of metal that sent a burning chill down his spine. Blackwell was just about to turn around.

The wristblade sprung out, and it was already too late.

**Ah. I hope you enjoyed the story. I am planning another Pirates project ****very**** soon, guys, so you should stay tuned if you want to know. Possibly a sequel to this one, because I've already brainstormed and formulated what is going to happen. (You might even be able to speculate, too!)**

**And here's the last part that I must address. If you have any burning questions, gripes, comments, or compliments, then please review or message me. I'm sure I'll be back to this story one day to revise some chapters and fix some plotholes that I might have overlooked. Thanks for reading and keeping up with the story, people, and hope you enjoyed it. It's really been a great experience. Until next time.**


End file.
